Ivory Tower
by Askani Blue
Summary: [CCD] [completed] Nokoru has a challenger that brings chaos to CLAMP Campus and forces him to his limits. (Rated R for language, sugestive material, and people doing bad things.) (Sequel to a challenge fic)
1. Introductions

  
  
Author's note: This is based in Clamp's Clamp Campus Detectives.  
  
This story contains Shounen Ai (two guys in love). If you find that icky or otherwise have problems with that, that's between you and your sexual identity issues. Don't bother me with it, you've been aptly warned.  
  
This is a sequel to the challenge fic "Ringmaster" (which is in the Cardcaptor Sakura section). I loved my little OCs so much I couldn't resist using them again. I'm actually thinking of using them in something entirely original I like them so much.   
  
The original stipulations to the challenge was to make an OC that had three of a list of "sue" traits, but **_not_** be sues. I decided to go for broke and make three OCs which between them all they fit every trait on the list.  
  
Feel free to start with this one or go read "Ringmaster" first.  
  
Oh and of course I own none of these characters, save my three terrors. If I did, I wouldn't be posting here now would I?  
  


Introductions

  
  
"Thank you, thank you. Betting is now closed," Kumi said quickly as Tamae unbuttoned his top shirt button. Jun'ko slipped his well-worn notebook into his satchel just as a teacher walked past but paid them little attention. Either way, the tournament was about to start.   
  
As they took their seats, Jun'ko, a rather tall, average-looking young man, watched Kumi lean back and watch the crowd, running a hand through his short, black hair. Kumi, as ever had the look of a lord overlooking his vassals and his angled features and lean build caught the eyes of a few passing girls, but as Kumi was working, not even they could draw his attention. Over all, he said he felt they were settling in nicely and he usually had a smile in his dark face. The university that he and Tamae went to was definitely top shelf and the money flowed reasonably well. It was slower than it had been at Seijou High but they had only been in classes a month, so Kumi had anticipated a lull in profits and had planned accordingly. Business was always slow at the beginning of the school year anyway. He was patient at reestablishing himself at his and Tamae's new school, and at Jun'ko's too.   
  
To Kumi, the Clamp School was a wonderland: a vast field of ripe possibilities begging to be picked, or so he kept telling him and Tamae. As promising as his own school was, Jun'ko's Clamp School was the focus of his every dream. They'd spent the first month of school carefully watching the workings of it and now, halfway through May, they had started work. "How are the numbers laying on this?" Kumi asked as they watched the archery match.   
  
"Not good," Jun'ko replied, tapping his well-worn notebook on his chin. The numbers were falling invariably with the public and not with them.   
  
"I'm afraid profits will go at a loss for anything that Takamura san competes in," said the smallest of the three, leaning forward to sit with his chin propped up, with his elbows on his knees. As he did the wind caught Tamae's longer hair slightly and played softly with the auburn strands. "It looks like he wins practically everything physical wise and he's liked by nearly everyone, so no one will bet against him."   
  
Kumi huffed, clearly not happy, but Jun'ko piped up again. "The only plus we have is that he doesn't compete very often, if ever. From what I've heard he only still competes in the archery tournaments; apparently, he feels it's unfair for him to enter."   
  
"Ah," Kumi said and shuffled in his seat and scanned the crowd, his near black eyes narrowed in thought. "How sporting of him. That'll be good for most endeavors, but its a shame he's so _fair_ or we might be able to offer him an incentive to throw a match. Events are always much more organized when you know who will win."   
  
Jun'ko nodded while Tamae laughed lightly, a welcome, bright sound to his ears. "I think we'll have a problem 'organizing' events here, though. There's a definite overriding feeling of 'fair play' in the air," Tamae stated, crunching up his lightly freckled nose.   
  
Kumi shuddered and began to rub his arms dramatically. "Is that what that feeling is? It's making my skin crawl."   
  
As Jun'ko shook his head, Tamae continued over his own snickers. "And from I hear no one cheats on their tests and everyone believes in doing the right and noble thing, helping little old ladies across the street and volunteer work and all that."   
  
"Dear gods, stop it. I'll have nightmares for weeks," Kumi begged, getting more distressed as he went. "That's just sick."   
  
"Tamae, quit teasing him," Jun'ko said in a long-suffering voice.   
  
"Okay, okay," the giggling psychic managed, patting Kumi's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Kumi. I promise that's all just hype, the people here are just as perfectly flawed as they were back home, don't worry." Kumi began to settle a bit and Tamae draped an arm over his shoulders and giggled into his shoulder.   
  
Again, Jun'ko shook his head at them. Tamae loved to tease and Kumi was always happy to play along, that and it helped Kumi's image of being oh-so-evil. As the match ended Jun'ko made notes of the payouts in his notebook as he followed his smaller companions off the bleachers.   
  
"There's another issue for operating here," Jun'ko started.   
  
"Oh?" Kumi asked looking up at him. "No matter, whatever it is I will crush it beneath my mighty boot. All shall fall before me!" he proclaimed, spreading his arms wide and making Tamae giggle all over again.   
  
"Right..." Jun'ko commented flatly, unimpressed by the dramatics. "Well, from what I've heard, while the student body isn't perfect, the trio in the university student counsel is: shining beacons of perfection, all three of them. Takamura san, back there is one of them."   
  
Kumi huffed. "No such thing as a perfect person, everyone has their vices. Some just hide them better."   
  
"Well, then they hide them really well," Jun'ko stated, not seeing the worth in an argument. "Either way, I think the Kaichou will take offense as us working on his campus."   
  
Tamae looked up at them, "Maybe we should just focus ourselves at our school, Kumi."   
  
"Why?" the ringleader asked as they sat down on some secluded benches. "Do you feel something bad about this?" For the first time in this discussion Kumi looked serious. Jun'ko's worries were educated guesses but damage management was Tamae's job.   
  
His pretty, exotic, hazel eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment, his auburn brows knitting. "No... not exactly. Well, yes, but... but it's jumbled." He let out a sigh and leaned back, staring at the branches above. "This place is very odd, very active."   
  
"Active?" Jun'ko asked, watching the psychic struggle a bit.   
  
Tamae nodded. "It's not so much like the woods back home were active, that was just a natural occurrence. This... This isn't natural. It almost feels like we're inside a giant machine..."   
  
"A machine? For what?" Kumi asked, drumming his middle and forefinger on his knee nervously.   
  
Tamae paused, closing his eyes again. "I... I don't know. It's like it's too big for me to see the whole thing, just a few moving parts." He shivered and sat back up, wrapping his arms around himself. "I can almost hear the gears moving into place..."   
  
Jun'ko got up from his seat and moved to sit next to Tamae, wrapping an arm around his small shoulders. "It's all right." It worried him to see the fragile empath upset.   
  
"Yeah," Kumi said, leaning forward. "Don't focus on it, it's not important to us." Kumi sighed and rubbed his chin. "Tell you what, for the most part we'll steer clear of this school and just hit the major events. That combined from what we get at our school should be enough to keep us rolling."   
  
Tamae shook his head. "No, no. I'll be fine. You're right, it's not about us and there are tons of profits to be made here. I'll just keep focused and I'll be fine." Though Tamae smiled brightly, Jun'ko didn't like it and looked to Kumi for a verdict.   
  
Again Kumi considered and shook his head. "Alright, we'll pursue the major and semi-major events here, but keep our time on campus to a minimum." As Tamae started to protest, he continued over him. "Because if this place bothers you this much, it's best to avoid it lest it short circuits you or something," he finished with a laugh and stood up to stretch. As he did, his uniform shirt pulled taut across his toned form and Jun'ko couldn't miss the way Tamae watched before quickly looking away. "Now come on and lets get some lunch, before we're all any later to class."   
  


-------

  
Akira pulled open the doors with his, arms loaded down with a plate of cookies and tea. "I have snacks for us." As Kaichou jumped up and grinned (even Takamura sempai looked up from his papers), the smallest of the three walked over to the couches and sat the tray down. "I made lemon cakes and strawberry gobs. I even left a two of the gobs without the icing for you, Takamura sempai... Kaichou?" Akira had looked up to see the Kaichou halfway around his desk, but stopped in the process of coming to stare at a paper. Kaichou had been working very quietly at his paperwork all day (though Akira didn't think the pile was getting any smaller).   
  
"Kaichou?" Takamura sempai stopped, too, to look questioningly at the Kaichou; he always ran to get Akira's sweets.   
  
"What? Oh yes." Kaichou sat the paper back down and came over. "I'm sorry, I got distracted."   
  
Takamura sempai rolled his eyes, but still questioned. "Do I dare ask what could distract you from Akira's cooking?"   
  
"Su-oh," the Kaichou admonished. "You make it sound as if you see our work as some sort of an inconvenience. Why since we established the Detectives we've done great things for women everywhere. We've saved women's homes, marriages, returned prized possessions, and saved them from dastardly villains! Now, what would you call all that!?" he demanded with a look of burning passion, fanning himself dramatically.   
  
"An inconvenience." Takamura sempai stated flatly, deflating his charge.   
  
"Su-oh..."   
  
"And I have a feeling I'm about to be inconvenienced again soon. What were the letters you've been reading instead of doing your work?"   
  
As Akira giggled at the displays and poured their tea, the Kaichou recovered. "Actually it's something very much the duties of the student counsel and I haven't been slacking at all," he announced proudly though Takamura sempai was clearly unimpressed and only raised an eyebrow. "Honest, look..." Though he was nearly twenty-one, the blonde man pouted like a small child with Suoh and quickly retrieved one of the letters and held it out for his secretary.   
  
Blandly, Takamura sempai took it and scanned it over. "What's this?" His aggravated expression quickly shifted to confusion and mild concern.   
  
"Huh?" Akira leaned over to look at the paper, too.   
  
Now vindicated, Kaichou sat proudly in his chair, fanning himself casually. "According to a few students, it seems that someone has been taking bets on certain events."   
  
"Bets?" Akira blinked, not quite sure what that meant. People bet things of each other all the time. Kaichou was always betting Takamura sempai that he could get his work done on time.   
  
Lowering the paper, Takamura sempai explained. "It means that say someone thinks one baseball team will win a game. They give the money to someone and say they're 'betting' on that team. Then if their team wins, they make money, sometimes a lot, sometimes a little."   
  
Akira considered this and nodded. "What happens if the team looses?"   
  
"They don't get anything and they loose the money they gave the man to place the bet," Kaichou finished. "Hence why gambling is wrong. People can loose enormous amounts of money to it and it can damage their well being forever. I've seen more than a few strong companies crumble because the person in charge lost all the profits and more to gambling. We've never had serious gambling on campus, nothing more than students betting with each other." He took back the letter from Takamura sempai.   
  
"But according to these letters, certain people have started an organized set up for it, and I gather their doing quite well."   
  
"They?" Takamura sempai asked.   
  
Kaichou nodded. "They. Seems there are three of them at this, though only one is a student here, the other two have skirted our admittance checks by seeking weekend work on campus."   
  
"Well, maybe we could just talk to them and explain why they can't do it," Akira started, dropping the many sugar cubes into Kaichou's tea. "I'm sure they'd stop when they understand why it's wrong."   
  
Takamura sempai rubbed his temples, while the Kaichou blinked. "Well... maybe that would work. You never know."   
  
Satisfied that the problem would be easy to fix, Akira handed the Kaichou and Takamura sempai their teas (careful not to mix them).   
  


-------

  
"Hello," came a light voice in front of Jun'ko. The number cruncher looked up to see a small blonde man with two others to either side of him. "How are you, this evening?"   
  
"Very fine, thank you," replied Kumi to Jun'ko's left. "And how are you, Kaichou Imonoyama and I believe this is the secretary Takamura san and the treasurer Ijyuin san?"   
  
"Very good, thank you, and your companions are Kameko san and Dubhain san, I believe," the blonde countered with as his companions inclined their heads.   
  
On queue, Jun'ko dipped his head and Tamae smiled happily and waved. "Hello. Most people have a problem with my name, but you said it perfectly."   
  
"Thank you," Imonoyama answered with an equally genuine smile. "I've met a few Irishmen and we have a couple enrolled at this moment, I believe."   
  
Tamae smiled widely. "You have a very nice school. I can see why people would come from so far to attend."   
  
"I'm glad you like it. Have you been enjoying your classes here, Kameko san? Students rarely join us so late in their schooling. With your file I'm surprised you didn't join us long ago."   
  
Jun'ko's normally passive face tightened very slightly and his eyes darted to the table, his only reply a shrug. Trying to keep the flush from his face, he felt Tamae's small hand lay over his under the table.   
  
Kumi suddenly jumped in. "Nah. Then he would have had to leave all his friends behind as we're not super geniuses," he announced, patting Jun'ko's shoulder heartily. "As it is, now we go to Murakai Academy so it's a short jaunt to and fro. Works nicely."   
  
"So I see." The chairman's smile wavered only a little at Jun'ko's reaction. "I hear that the three of you have become quite popular around campus."   
  
"Well, what can I say," As Kumi answered again, the chairman was quickly getting the idea that trying to talk to Jun'ko (the only Clamp student there) was a lost cause. "We're just popular people." Jun'ko was always happy for Kumi's ability to draw attention to himself.   
  
Imonoyama simply nodded to that. "Especially at sporting events, I hear."   
  
"Of course, that's where all the fun is. The excitement, the noise, the tension and uncertainty." Kumi shivered to make a point, making Tamae giggle lightly. Jun'ko almost smiled at that light sound but not quite.   
  
"Quite. Sporting events can be fun, but one must always remember that it _is_ only fun."   
  
Kumi's ringmaster smile broadened to full force. "Why of course, and I _always_ have fun."   
  
Unable to help himself, Tamae giggled again and Jun'ko even smiled a bit while shaking his head.   
  



	2. Visions of the Prince

  
  
Author's note: This is based in Clamp's Clamp Campus Detectives.  
  
Many thanks to my... _-looks at review list again-_ two reviewers: Tam Chronin and Larania Drake, who I both talk to tons so I have to wonder if their praise was deserved or because they can't manage to tell me I suck. Ah, well. I also wonder if I screwed myself with my rating (as ff.net is kind enough to defaultly block out R rated fics) but with their language I really couldn't rate it anything but R.  
  
This story contains Shounen Ai (two guys in love). If you find that icky or otherwise have problems with that, that's between you and your sexual identity issues. Don't bother me with it, you've been aptly warned.  
  
Oh and of course I own none of these characters, save my three terrors. If I did, I wouldn't be posting here now would I?  
  


Visions of the Prince

  
  
Suoh grumbled as he started his day. The Triplets (they'd found they were called) had been running amuck across campus for three months now, with near immunity. All their best attempts had been thwarted by the trio; worse yet, they were beating them easily. Kameko san was impossibly skilled with a computer and could read binary faster then most people could read normal kana, but then again as far as they could tell they kept none of their records on a computer (instead appeared to be entirely stored in Kameko's head) and all the money they made was filtered through an advanced laundering system that they hadn't been able to trace yet. Even when they did get close, the Triplets always seemed aware and easily dodged the trap. According to rumors, the smallest of the three, Dubhain, was a psychic and if that was true, what options did they have to catch them?   
  
Ayashiko... Suoh's blood boiled at the name. He was the worst: cunning as a fox and just as predatory. Suoh wasn't sure what hold he had on the other two but he was the brain of the set. They could get them on the money if not for his maneuvering, but as it was they were making a mockery of their running of the school. He crushed the latest dead end printout in his fist as Akira came bouncing though the door. "Takamura sempai! Kaichou found out where some of the money is going!"   
  
Nokoru shook his head as he stepped in with a folder of papers in his arms. "We found where a small amount of it is going, but we can't prove anything unfortunately."   
  
"Where?"   
  
The Kaichou handed over the papers as he went to sit on the couch heavily. "He and Dubhain san both go to Murakai Academy, a far from inexpensive school. While Ayashiko's family is quite well off, Dubhain san's is not and as far as I've been able to tell he lives with Ayashshiko san, has for about four years. His tuition comes from Ayashiko's personal account, which technically is 'pocket money' from his father."   
  
"Ayashshiko san is very kind to take care of his friend so well," Ijyuin san added cheerfully as he poured their tea.   
  
"Or he's keeping control of him," Suoh commented darkly. "...keeping tabs on him; a dog on a leash. Any evidence what he has on Kameko san?"   
  
"No," Nokoru replied, trying to keep the weary tone from his voice. "All we know is they've been close since they were in middle school, same can be said for Dubhain san... and I'm not all too sure on the 'keeping control of him' reasoning. The way they behave towards one another doesn't seem like he's controlling them. They seem to behave like genuine friends." He rubbed his temple a moment, an uncharacteristic sign of exhaustion and frustration. The sight of it made Suoh want to murder the three monsters just to fix this disaster for the Kaichou.   
  
"Don't worry, Kaichou," came Akira's light voice. "We'll stop them, and everything will be fine again."   
  
Nokoru smiled at him but Suoh was more than aware that the smile was less than brilliant.   
  


---

  
The sunlight filtered through the autumn leaves above as a few of the orange hued leaves tumbled down to lay across the long cards. "Good afternoon, Dubhain san." He looked up to see the blonde haired Kaichou of the university division of Clamp School.   
  
"Good Afternoon, Kaichou. May I help you with something?" he asked pleasantly as he gathered his cards up quickly.   
  
"Oh, I heard you had a sixth sense, but I didn't know you used tarot cards."   
  
"Yes. At times," he replied guardedly. He liked the Kaichou, he seemed very kind, but Tamae didn't like anyone taking note of these things.   
  
Thankfully the cheerful man let the questioning go and switched to another topic. "I heard that you spent most of your time in this park, while your friends were on campus. You only come on certain times. Don't you like our parks? I assure you they're well kept."   
  
Tamae had to keep from shuddering at the reminder. He hated going into the Clamp campus, the sheer thought of it brought back the sound of the gears turning. "I'm sure you're right, but the grounds... don't agree with me, I'm afraid... and besides, I'm quite happy with my table right here."   
  
The Kaichou seemed about to question him but again let it slide. "I can't argue you that; this is a very lovely here. Your school is quite nice."   
  
"Oh, yes," Tamae said brightly, forgetting his previous worries. "It's quite nice, everyone is very friendly and the campus is very beautiful," he answered quickly and then added, "Oh, but yours is nice, too, of course."   
  
The Kaichou grinned and laughed lightly. "Thank you. You're certainly very fortunate to have someone like Ayashiko san to see to your tuition."   
  
Tamae unconsciously pulled his cards closer, almost defensively. "Yes. I am." Tamae didn't need reminded how very lucky he was. Though hopefully the Kaichou would understand now and let up on Kumi, now that he saw more of who Kumi really was.   
  
The blonde tipped his head to the side and smiled softly. "I understand you've been living with him for a little over four years. I have to say, I'm a little perplexed that Ayashiko san would be so altruistic."   
  
Tamae's quiet cheerfulness vanished for a moment and he tightened his grip on his cards angrily. "You've got him all wrong! He's very kind and good at heart. He'd never hesitate to help someone in real need."   
  
Blinking in surprise, the Kaichou replied, "I would like to believe that, but, I'm sorry, his choice of... vocations, leads me to believe otherwise."   
  
Tamae shook his head. "You're wrong, he would never take more than someone could afford, and he would never really hurt someone."   
  
"Why does he take care of you?"   
  
"Because he does," Tamae said flatly, setting his cards back down to gather his other things. These questions always upset him and this time Kumi wasn't there to smooth it over with his banter. Tamae wasn't good at it like he was and he just wanted to leave.   
  
"I'm sorry," said the Kaichou, genuinely, standing from his seat. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'll leave you to your afternoon, but I have to ask you to try and convince Ayashiko san to let this thing go. I'd hate to cause you more distress."   
  
"I could say the same thing to you, Kaichou," he replied some of his cheery smile starting to return.   
  
"Quite." The blonde began to stand but jumped forward quickly. "Careful!"   
  
Tamae looked over to see Imonoyama preventing his cards from falling (him having knocked them with his elbow accidentally) catching them in his hands. "Oh no!" He snatched them back, pulling them all onto the table away from him. "Don't touch them! You can't touch them! Oh no..." he ordered, straightening them as well as he could, feeling as their distressed energies complained at being touched by foreign hands.   
  
"I am so sorry. I didn't realize," Imonoyama apologized quickly. "I just didn't want them to fall. You follow the belief that only you can touch them? I've heard some psychics work like that."   
  
"Yes, yes. It's all right, I'll be fine, I'm sure. Thank you for trying to help." He was still gathering them without looking up, when a call came from a distance back.   
  
"Kaichou! We'll be late!"   
  
"I'm just coming, Akira san," he replied as the dark haired man appeared. "Goodbye, Dubhain san."   
  
Tamae waved as they left and then went back to picking up his things. Kumi and Jun'ko would be there soon anyway.   
  
Rarely were questions about him and Kumi welcome. They always turned awkward with a lot of uncomfortable pauses and unwanted prying for more information. That was something he didn't feel comfortable sharing with others not in their small, patchwork family.   
  
He was mulling over this when he nudged the stack of cards again. "Oh!" Grasping the cards quickly, he managed to prevent them from decorating the grass, but somehow two evaded him. "Damn..." he swore softly as he got up to get them.   
  
Lying not far from his seat they sat there. The chariot was on top, looking up at him and as he plucked them up, he saw the prince of cups sitting underneath it, perfectly crossed. It was at this, the world was blotted out by a flashing disjointed series of images. With a gasp, Tamae released the cards and fell backwards.   
  
It took a few moments to make sense of what he had seen and then he was back on his feet and running towards the street. "Stop!" Feet pounding the ground hard, Tamae's short legs were far from built for such sprinting and his muscles were already complaining as he breathed heavily. He had to reach the street; he had to! '_Please!_' "Stop! Please stop!" He finally cleared the woods and could see the Kaichou near the street, both of his companions now with him. "Stop! Get away from the street!" he called out, leaning on a lamppost and holding his side.   
  
The Kaichou looked at him oddly and began to step towards him, when the screech of tires rang out and a car jumped the curb exactly where the blonde had been standing, before the driver cut back hard, sending the small car across the street to plow through a fence.   
  
Staring with wide, blue eyes, the Kaichou was held tightly by his bodyguard after the tall man pulled him backwards, the treasurer standing before them both as a shield.   
  
Tamae let out a heavy sigh and once he'd caught his breath, he headed back to get his things. He wanted to know if the man driving was all right, but things were never good if he stuck around afterwards, especially when the others weren't there to help him.   
  


---

  
Suoh was busy trying to regain his breath, clutching his charge tightly, as reason slowly crept back to him. In a moment he was back to himself and released the still dazed Nokoru to run across the street and check on the car.   
  
Smoke billowed out from under the hood and Suoh drug a section of broken fencing aside to reach the driver. The man was out cold and none of Suoh's shouts raised him. Reaching into the broken window, Suoh turned off the ignition and began to yank the door open. "I'm here!" called Akira as he came up behind him and helped with the door. It was well smashed in and it took both of them all they had to get it free. They stopped as they heard the ambulance's sirens approaching.   
  
"Kaichou?"   
  
Nokoru looked up with wide, blue eyes, blinking a few times before he replied. "Suoh, that was close," he was fanning himself with the edges of the fan concealing all but his eyes. "Is the driver alright?"   
  
"Yes, the ambulance has taken him away and they say he should be fine."   
  
Kaichou nodded to that and then shook his head. "He knew though, Suoh... Dubhain san knew. He's the only reason I'm alive." There was a tremor in his voice and, in an uncharacteristic show of affection, Suoh wrapped an arm around the smaller man's shoulders, but he had to admit to himself that it was an much for his own comfort as it was for Nokoru's.   
  
That, such a random accident, was the worst nightmare of any Takamura. There's no preparing for it, no plans of attack against it, no warning signs: random. "Come on, are you able to go to the meeting? It can always be postponed."   
  
"No, no, don't be silly, Suoh. I'm- OW!" As he helped his charge up suddenly Kaichou cried out and fell back down.   
  
"What's wrong? What's injured?"   
  
"Kaichou!?" Akira exclaimed as he finally joined them. "Are you alright?"   
  
"I'm... I'm alright... but my hand- I think the car might have struck it." He tentatively raised the hand and they saw that it was beginning to swell and the bones on the far side looked wrong. "I didn't feel it till I tried to stand up with it. I - Owww!"   
  
"Don't move it. Akira, go and get one of the ambulance crew for him. It looks like the car barely caught him."   
  
"I must have had it out a bit when I turned around," he explained, half to himself as Akira ran off. "It just happened so fast... I..." He thought a moment and nodded to himself. "Yes, I remember now, the corner of the front of the car nipped me and then you drug me back as the car veered over there." He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on Suoh's hand with his good one. "Oh, my. I didn't think a broken bone would hurt this much."   
  
"It probably wouldn't, but by the looks of it you've broken three or four," he said with comforting rub with the hand that was draped across Kaichou's shoulders.   
  
Nokoru moaned at the thought and soon the paramedic was there.   
  


---

  
Kumi was happily rambling about the girls on the cheerleading squad of Clamp and how they made events worth it all on their own (complete with vivid accounts of the girls' forms) as they sat at a table. The event had gone fine and they'd made a healthy profit.   
  
It had been almost a week since the incident at the park and Tamae was growing more comfortable with the Clamp campus. As such, operations had been stepped up a bit and they were easily quadrupling their old profits with their school and Jun'ko's. Tamae shivered as he dropped a few coins onto the table.   
  
"Here," said Jun'ko's quiet voice as a huge over coat was draped over his shoulders.   
  
"Oh I don't-"  
  
"It's okay, I was getting a little hot," he stated in the flat, deep tone he always used.   
  
"...thanks," he said softly smiling up at the number cruncher. Jun'ko gave him his usual shrug and faint smile and Tamae snuggled down into the thick jacket (taking a breath of the scent on the heavy fabric) as he looked over his coins, but lifted his head again (quickly snatching up them up) as the Kaichou and his assistants came up. "Good afternoon, Kaichou, sirs," he greeted warmly, dipping his head.   
  
"Good afternoon as well. I owe you a debt, Dubhain san. How are you all today?"   
  
"Well, we're doing wonderfully, thank you for asking. To what do we owe the honor of this afternoon visit?" Kumi asked brightly as the tallest of the other three looked to be contemplating strangling Kumi. The aggression coming off of him was palatable and Tamae unconsciously inched closer to Jun'ko's calm.   
  
"I'm sure we all know why we we're here, the question remains, why are they here?" the Kaichou asked, gesturing towards Tamae and Jun'ko.   
  
Tamae blinked and looked up at his quiet friend. "What?"   
  
"Well you, Dubhain san, I have ideas of. You're dependant on Ayashiko san for your well being, but how you allowed yourself to fall into that position is a question. It's you, Kameko san, I am truly at a loss over. You have a brilliant mind, a shining future; you could do anything, go anywhere, and instead you're happy as a simple book keeper-?"  
  
"Jun'ko," Kumi said firmly, his previous smile missing entirely as Tamae pulled close to Jun'ko, grasping his hand as he stared at the table. "...owes you **no** explanation!" The dark haired ringleader stepped between the Kaichou and them and continued. "I've got an idea how you can repay your debt to Tamae for seeing to it you only wear that cast and not a body bag," he started sharply. "You can quit badgering them. You have a problem, _Kaichou_ you bring it to me. They aren't your targets here."   
  
The small man looked up at Kumi with little change of expression. "You've made them targets."   
  
"Please, this isn't necessary," Tamae broke in, quickly, jumping up from his seat. "There's no need for us to become angry."   
  
"You're right it isn't necessary. You three could take your business elsewhere. If it's your tuition that keeps you with Ayashiko san, I can offer you schooling here-"  
  
"Kumi is _not_ controlling us!" the shout from the soft-spoken psychic shocked everyone for a moment and he grasped Kumi's arm. "Come on, Kumi. We don't need this, we-"  
  
Kumi yanked his arm from Tamae and shook his head. "I'm not being railroaded by some poster boy for nepotism," he said as he leaned back against the table.   
  
The Kaichou's companions looked near swallowing their tongues but the blonde only got more resolute. "I can see to it Kameko san is expelled."   
  
"Expelled?" he asked incredulously. "On what grounds? We've done nothing wrong, unless your..." He suddenly snatched the notebook from Jun'ko's hands. "_Infallibility extends to your wild and unsubstantiated claims,"_ as he went he fanned himself with the notebook in a mockery to the Kaichou.   
  
"Now see here!" the tallest broke in loudly. "I won't-" but as the Kaichou tried to stop him Kumi jumped in.   
  
"Oh really? That would explain why your girlfriend always looks wound so _tightly_."  
  
"That is **quite** enough!" Now the Kaichou was shouting and the bodyguard joined in just after with Kumi's showman's voice shouting over both of them. Jun'ko was quickly on his feet, trying to calm down Kumi while the quietest of the student board did his best to still his friends. In an attempt to keep the Kaichou back so that Kumi wouldn't do something irrational like slug him, Tamae grasped his arm… and the world exploded.   
  
Suddenly he wasn't in the park but somewhere else with broken concrete and screams around him, a moment later he was at a fountain, and then a high rise, a pool of water, red everywhere and the grinding of gears so loud it shook the ground and broke it like glass... Shattered glass everywhere and blood filled screams filled his ears as gears and feathers filled his vision.   
  


---

  
Suoh had finally got a handful of the bastard's collar when the Kaichou cried out. Instantly the ninja's attention was there but this time Nokoru wasn't the one harmed, but rather the small one, Dubhain. He was falling backwards, eyes wide but unseeing, and in a moment, Tameko san had caught him and pulled him backwards away from them. "Tamae! Tamae can you hear me?" he was holding him tightly as the young man convulsed.   
  
"Wha-" Nokoru tried to come forward to help, but Ayashiko san was quick to fend him off.   
  
"Don't touch him! You can't touch him! Jun'ko?" he looked back the picture of worry as Jun'ko gave up simply holding him (as that did little to ease the violent shudders) and bent over him, pulling as closely as possible.   
  
"It's okay... It's okay... It's not here... It's not now... It's okay... Tamae please... It's okay... Please..." The numbers whiz whispered the pleas as he rocked the convulsing boy.   
  


---

  
The world slowly returned in a blurry swim of colors and muffled sounds, but Tamae could feel Jun'ko all around him, his gentle stillness blotting out the nightmare of blood-soaked swords and corpses. "Jun'ko...?"   
  
"Yes, yes! It's me, I'm here." Tamae could feel Jun'ko shift him in his arms and a dark blur appeared just behind Jun'ko and waved. "And so is Kumi."   
  
"Hi, kiddo. Welcome back." Tamae could feel the worry coming off of Kumi and wanted to smile to ease him, but couldn't manage it. As comforting as Kumi was, his intense aura was too much just then and he curled against Jun'ko: quiet, gentle, still Jun'ko and his steady warmth. He weakly clutched at Jun'ko's shirt and tried to let the images slip away.   
  
"It's okay, we'll get you home," Jun'ko said quietly as Tamae felt himself be lifted, cradled in Jun'ko's comfortable arms.   
  
He heard Kumi mumble and affirmative and another voice came in. "Is there anything I can do to help?" The light voice was laden with worry and Tamae vaguely connected it to the Kaichou. In his current state, his normal five senses were unreliable and sporadic, so he was left with only his sixth. The Kaichou's aura was as gentle as Jun'ko's, but it was bright golden to Jun'ko's dark blue. It was as bright as Kumi's, but it spread out wide in soft, caring waves, wholly unlike Kumi's jarring spikes. Behind the golden man, Tamae could feel a deep green one and a shining silver. While the green was tight and steady, the silver was open and un-patterned in it's playful shifting. If not for his weakness, he might have laughed at the childish silver. As he looked back to the gold, he noted a strand of green touching into him and Tamae followed it back to see a similar strand of gold within the green man. He was interested in what that meant but suddenly Kumi's red flared defensively.   
  
"No! Stay away from him. Touching _you_ did this to him!" Kumi hissed, blocking the Kaichou.   
  
"Kumi stop it..." Tamae moaned, turning from Jun'ko's protective warmth. "You're making it sound like it's his fault... He couldn't control it... Stop being an idiot," he finished and managed a smile for the first time.   
  
He could feel Kumi's aura shrink as he was scolded. "Okay, okay... Come on, Jun'ko." Jun'ko mumbled and affirmative and Tamae felt them head off, curling back into the cool shelter of Jun'ko's stillness, leaving the green, silver, and gold behind.   
  


---

  
Suoh heard the driver's door close and the car came to life as they headed towards home. "That was frightening. I feel horrible about it; that poor boy..." His charge had been upset since they'd left, though he'd been hiding it till Akira was gone; the cheerful cook had been very distraught over it all and Nokoru had tried to smooth it over.   
  
"You shouldn't feel guilty, he even said it wasn't your fault."   
  
He sighed as he slumped back into the seat. "I know but..."   
  
"But nothing," Suoh stated as he reached to pour the Kaichou a glass of water. "You can't be held responsible for everything. That was just out of your control."   
  
"Everything seems to be out of my control these days..." he said softly, the exhaustion in him fully shown.   
  
Suoh's face softened and he leaned back into the seat as he handed him the glass. "Don't. Beating yourself up isn't going to get them stopped any faster; you make it sound like someone else could do better job."   
  
"Maybe they could. I've certainly done a less than admirable job... Getting into a screaming match...?" He lowered drink to his knee and put his head against his cast-covered hand. "That's not like me... He just..."   
  
"He's worn you to the bone. This has been going on for over six months. You need to take a break, take a step back from all of this and come at it fresh."   
  
"Oh that would work," he took a sip of the water before continuing. "And while I'm 'resting' they'll tear through the school unchecked."   
  
Reaching up to lay a hand on his shoulder, Suoh said gently "I don't think it would make much of a difference. I don't think we're really keeping them in check as it is."   
  
A small whimper escaped the Kaichou's lips as he curled in on himself. "They're gambling, buying excuse forms, test answers... Its just all coming apart." Suoh gripped his shoulder tighter in some vain attempt at comfort, but he did little more than lean into it. "And they seem so nice..."   
  
As Suoh stiffened and was about to reply, but Nokoru adjusted his statement. "The other two seem nice, especially Dubhain san. I mean I would have been killed..." He looked down at the cast. "It's not that I haven't had close calls before, but those are always things you see coming and for some purpose. That was just so sudden and random..." His face darkened as Suoh's did as well but suddenly he heard him laugh. "That would be too ironic, wouldn't it? Here I am, the target of so many attempts at kidnapping and assassination, only to die because someone's tire blew out."   
  
Suoh shook his head in response. "I'm just thankful he was there that day, but now it would be good if they left."   
  
Nokoru nodded and became sullen again. "But they're not going to, because _I_ can't figure out how to get rid of them. The school is coming apart and I can't stop it," he said as his voice cracked, his knees drawn up to his chest. "I just..."   
  
Suoh took the glass from him and wrapped an arm around his small frame again. "It'll be okay... I promise."   
  
Nokoru crumpled and pulled against Suoh, breaking down completely. Suoh held him tightly as he sobbed into his chest, rubbing his back lightly as Nokoru tried to speak through his tears, though Suoh could make out little of what he said. Suoh had been doing whatever he could to lighten Nokoru's load, taking on most of his paper work himself and keeping anything that might be stressful from him while he dealt with Ayashiko san, but even with all of that, he had reached the breaking point. As he continued to cry, Suoh was left to consider what was to be done about this.   
  
Given how upset Nokoru was, surely it would be within his duties to simply kill Ayashiko san. Disposing of the body couldn't be that hard.   
  



	3. Damage

  
  
Author's note: This is based in Clamp's Clamp Campus Detectives.  
  
Many thanks to my... ummm... reviewe, Elihice. Yay, Elihice! I would have two others but I was a fool and gave them the whole thing at once and thus only got one for the whole fic. Who knew I would only have Elihice, not that there's anything wrong with Elihice, quite the contrary. She's read I think all my fics here. Again, YAY Elihice! Ah, well enough of my ramblings and in with the show.  
  
Hope you like it Elihice. lol  
  
This story contains Shounen Ai (two guys in love). If you find that icky or otherwise have problems with that, that's between you and your sexual identity issues. Don't bother me with it, you've been aptly warned.  
  
Oh and of course I own none of these characters, save my three terrors. If I did, I wouldn't be posting here now would I?  
  


**Damage**   


  
Nokoru was walking through the gardens on his way back to the counsel room when he came upon Ayashiko san "entertaining" several young ladies. He lounged on a bench while they hovered over him and it brought a sour expression to Nokoru's face.   
  
Certainly they weren't treating him any differently than they had him, it was Ayashiko san's behavior that infuriated him. There he sat, chuckling and flirting in the most egregious way. He watched as the criminal leaned forward to whisper something in a girl's ear suggestively only to turn to the girl to his left who had just lit a cigarette. Ayashiko san laid a hand on her thigh and ran it higher than Nokoru found acceptable while he took the cigarette from her mouth. A breath away from her, he took a deep pull from it with a lecherous grin on his face.   
  
Taking in a full breath, Ayashiko san didn't exhale but instead drew the girl to him and kissed her deeply. Nokoru felt the blood rise to his face and his pulse filled his ears in a quick rage. Eventually he released her and the sigh she released was a cloud of smoke Ayashiko san had passed to her. As the other girls giggled, one of the more daring (the one to his right) grasped his collar and drew him to her in another kiss. The rogue made no complaints and eagerly took what was offered, and more, running his hand up her skirt.   
  
Nokoru could not stand this a moment longer and headed towards them, barely able to keep from shouting, "Ayashiko san. May I speak with you in private?"   
  


---

  
The office was massive and grand, like all things in the Clamp Campus Kumi had seen. It all seemed a bit over done to him. The chandeliers, the plush carpets, the three story windows, and there was the all mighty Kaichou taking his throne with a massive oak desk to shield him from Kumi's taint. A vicious smirk slid across Kumi's lips as he nonchalantly took a seat on the sofa and took a pull from the cigarette he had claimed.   
  
"You look very pleased with yourself, Ayashiko san," he stated flatly, staring at him.   
  
Kumi's grin deepened. "Why of course I am. I'm always pleased with myself, but you..." he took a pull from the cigarette. "You don't seem very happy, Kaichou."   
  
He watched the cultured man twitch barely but compose himself again. "I was not aware you smoked."   
  
Kumi took another pull, enjoying watching the man attempt to derail him. The Kaichou was a worthwhile opponent. "I do upon occasion, same can be said for drinking. I'm a social indulger," he said as he released the smoke. "_You_ seemed less than _pleased_ with me before."   
  
"If you're referring to just now at the garden, yes, I was certainly less than happy with your _behavior_ with those young women."   
  
"Oh really?" he asked, an eyebrow drawing up in curiosity. "That's funny to me." He leaned back to stare at the ceiling while he took another drag. "I would think you were spiteful of my stepping in your little harem here, but of all the lovely _ladies_ I've encountered here, they've all been consistent in saying that you never... tiptoe through the tulips... as it were."   
  


---

  
"I am a _gentleman_!" Nokoru replied loudly, but Ayashiko laughed carelessly. "Oh really?! You don't say? Let me get this... um... straight," he said _finally_, gesturing with his cigarette, making swirls with the smoke above him with that sickening grin that made Nokoru's blood boil. "You have _hundreds_ of beautiful... intelligent... _rich_ women throwing themselves at you on a daily basis... and you're... a _gentlemen_?" He laughed again before considering. "I would use a different word, but maybe that's a regional thing," he added off handedly.   
  
Nokoru was too furious to reply and the man's last statements left him flustered in a different way. Either way, Ayashiko continued. "A gentlemen...? Well, perhaps it's that they didn't interest you..."   
  
"They are all wonderful! How could I-" he started but Ayashiko again took the reigns from him.   
  
"Wonderful, yes, but perhaps they just..." he took a long pull from the cigarette again and savored the flavor before replying. "...weren't what you were looking for," he said letting the smoke drift from his mouth languidly. "Maybe you..." he stood up, crushing the cigarette out as he went. "...are looking for something else. Something with a different... flavor." Nokoru's angry expression faded to confusion as Ayashiko made his way towards his desk.   
  
"I have absolutely no idea what you're getting at, and I'll thank you to retake your seat."   
  
Ayashiko stopped for a moment as if considering him, sizing him up. "Oh? Do I make you nervous?"   
  
Shocked at this claim, Nokoru shook his head. "No, not at all." He was getting less and less comfortable with his line of questioning and his proximity.   
  
"Then why is there a tremor in your voice?" he asked coyly as he rounded the corner of the desk.   
  
"Th-there isn't," he said quickly but immediately cursed himself as he jumped from his chair. "I don't know what you think you're doing but that is entirely close enough!" But Ayashiko only smirked and moved closer, as Nokoru found himself backed into a wall.   
  
"Oh?" he asked innocently as he closed the gap between them, looking down at Nokoru with his dark eyes. The blonde was suddenly (and not for the first time) acutely aware of how stunning he was: the deep burnished skin, dark hair, and eyes seeming like obsidian pools. Ayashiko's body wasn't as muscled as many others', but rather was lean and toned, as someone who enjoys exercise but doesn't focus on it solely. He locked him in his gaze and Nokoru was a deer caught in the glare.   
  
"I... I'll summon security-" he started prying his eyes from him to head back to the desk, but before he could Ayashiko brought an arm up to block him and another to block his other escape. Again, Nokoru looked up at him helplessly, feeling his face grow hot. "I... "  
  
"Maybe you're just looking... for something they can't give..." he trailed off as he dipped his face down to Nokoru's.   
  
Nokoru pressed back against the wall as hard as he could but as the gambler grew so very close, Nokoru closed his eyes and held his breath; his body heat on Nokoru's skin, Nokoru barely kept from trembling, ripped between the want to hit him as hard as he could for destroying his beautiful school and the desire to feel arms around him and a mouth against his. This degenerate wasn't perfect, beautiful Suoh: not his quiet, powerful protector, and not what he wanted, but he was there when no one else ever had been (would ever be), so close he could breath him.   
  
That was good enough wasn't it?   
  
But no sooner had the thought passed through his mind that he realized that he'd had his eyes shut tight too long. He reopened them to find Ayashiko already on the other side of the desk and heading out the door. "You should really get yourself a man, Kaichou!" he called back as he went. "You stay pent up like that and you're gonna explode... or accost a stranger on the street," he added with a laugh as he let the doors swing shut behind him.   
  
The rage welled up with a speed and ferocity that Nokoru couldn't combat and with a furious yell he threw a stapler at the doors as hard as he could before he collapsed on the floor and sobbed with his knees drawn up. He'd played him like a fool, strung him along for laugh and then dropped him. He felt raw and bare, stripped down and thrown naked onto the floor for Ayashiko to laugh at.   
  


---

  
Kumi got back to their flat and set his books down quietly. Tamae still wasn't feeling well after the incident with that stuffed shirt a few days before and they were both on eggshells till he was back to normal. The memory of the strutting peacock and his claims of nobility brought a heat to his blood but Kumi quickly got himself under control. Tamae couldn't take any strong emotions when he was like this.   
  
They'd never seen him this bad and Jun'ko was visibly terrified (a wonder of nature to see on the face of the emotionless number cruncher). Sadly, Jun'ko had been born without a personality, or so they teased at him, but he was simply more stoic than most brick walls. Tamae's distress had brought out Jun'ko protectiveness and worry. Thankfully even these emotions were dim and unobtrusive to Tamae; Kumi's weren't.   
  
Just inside the entranceway, Kumi sat on the mat, in the spot Tamae had made when they'd moved in. While the entire apartment was warded, this one patch wasn't, so anything that went on here was outside of Tamae's range if he was within the ward. It was an alcove of sorts, a place for Kumi to cool off his high-energy emotions so that Tamae could rest easily around him if Tamae was having a bad day (or vice a versa). Doing as he had since he'd started to live with Tamae, he sat down on the mat and focused on releasing the intense emotions so that he was calm and undisruptive to the ill psychic. Normally it took only a few moments after so many years, but the Kaichou had riled him badly and it took longer. After almost fifteen minutes he finally stood up, and upon taking a deep breath, stepped into the ward.   
  
He, Tamae had told him repeatedly, had the magical gifts of a mushroom, so it took something as involved as the ward on the apartment for him to feel even the slightest feathery touch, when someone who knew what they were doing would have felt like they were walking through a wall of water. He wasn't as dense as Jun'ko, but still rather worthless about such things. All he knew was that it bothered Tamae and that was really all he needed to know.   
  
"How's everyone doing?" he asked as he stuck his head in the bedroom.   
  
"Better, thank you," Tamae replied, lifting his head a little from Jun'ko lap. He'd been so distressed he didn't want to be alone so he and Jun'ko took turns watching him during the day so they both managed to get to class occasionally, though Jun'ko had taken two day shifts in a row, insisting that he couldn't care less if he was expelled. As Tamae laid his head back down, Jun'ko brushed his auburn hair back from his face.   
  
"Think you can eat something? I can make us some ramen or such," Kumi asked.   
  
Tamae nodded. "Sure. Just make sure it's bland."   
  
"Sure thing," he said with a smile and headed for the kitchen.   
  
Kumi started pulling down the noodles and the pot when he paused. Struck with an idea he ducked his head into the bottom, cupboard and lo,w and behold they did have some potatoes. With a smirk, Kumi yanked the bag up and pulled out seven to scrub.   
  
Tamae's father had come over while stationed in the army and though Tamae had been out of that house for years now, he still had grown up with some different foods (a few of which they could stand). One of his favorite things they'd tried under penalty of death (they'd touch it no other way): chicken noodle soup over mashed potatoes. Once they'd buckled down and tried it, they found it was quite good and got a long lecture from Tamae about how they should try things once and a while.   
  
Kumi had learned a lot of western dishes for Tamae over the years and he thought he was pretty good at it, all and all. Mashed potatoes had been a breeze: smash them and add milk and butter. As for the chicken noodle soup, that was basically egg soup with chicken instead of eggs with some udon thrown in. It was far from a hard meal and it hopefully would brighten Tamae's day.   
  


---

  
Nokoru sat leaning against the tree and watching the sunlight filter down, letting the calm of the early winter day wash over him, through him. The park wasn't a part of the Clamp Campus; Akira had suggested he spend some time away from the grounds to breathe. He was aware of the way his friends' attitude towards him had changed, treating him as a fragile bit of glass that could shatter at any moment. He knew, it was all very obvious; he just couldn't do anything about it.   
  
That day with Ayashiko san, Suoh had found him crying behind his desk, exactly where the bastard had left him. _'Nokoru...?' he'd asked softly, making Nokoru jump. He'd tried his best to brush it off and act normally but Suoh wouldn't have it and knelt down with him and asked what was wrong.   
  
As horrible as he had just felt, to even consider Suoh knowing what had happened, the humiliation... Whatever had been left of his self control fell apart and he threw his arms around the bodyguard's neck and sobbed into his shoulder. Suoh could do little else but hold him and try to comfort the hysterical man. It had taken hours to still him, they told him (his memory of the event was blurry and smeared together) and Akira had arrived just before he passed out from exhaustion.   
  
He'd woken up the next day in his bed, the two of them having carried him home after he had collapsed._  
  
He picked a stray leaf from the blanket around him and looked at it before letting it fall. Somewhere just out of his sight, he knew Suoh was watching. These days he was never very far away. Nokoru was getting the feeling they had him on a suicide watch of sorts. Of course suicide was far from consideration, but that wouldn't stop them from worrying.   
  
They only saw the disintegration of the school as the cause for the crippling depression that had laid claim to him, but Nokoru knew the rest of it. If it was only the school he could probably cope, but Ayashiko's words had rung true: loneliness was eating him alive and was a noose that had him trapped. He'd been able to deal before, focusing everything into his school, but now he was losing that, even. The fact that his only two friends knew how miserable he was only made it worse.   
  
He was happily wallowing in his own unhappiness when he heard the sound of feet shuffling through the leaves. The steps were too idle and unfocused to be Suoh and he was getting to his feet when he saw Dubhain san round the path. "Oh! Kaichou." He seemed to consider leaving, holding his hands together almost defensively.   
  
Nokoru pulled back himself, fearful of hurting the psychic again. "Hello, Dubhain san. How are you feeling?"   
  
"I'm much better, thank you. You don't have to worry, Kaichou," he explained, showing his hands to be covered with gloves.   
  
Nokoru sighed and nodded, "I'm so very sorry about that."   
  
"No, no, you shouldn't be. That wasn't your fault. I mean that." He stepped forward and sat down on the grass beside him. "How are you?" he asked, giving him that worried expression he'd grown to hate.   
  
"I'm fine. I'm..." His attempt at hiding his state was a lost cause and he sighed deeply before turning back to Dubhain san. "You're so kind... Please, could you make me understand why you stay with Ayashiko san?" Nokoru didn't try to hide the desperation in his voice. His only hope was to understand the engineer of his destruction to some how stop him.   
  
Dubhain gave a sigh of his own and considered his reply. He seemed about to about to close up again, but Nokoru wouldn't give in. He _had_ to understand this. "I've already found that you and Ayashiko san are lovers." At that Dubhain san quickly looked back at him. "I didn't mean _that_, when I asked. I meant, well, why him? Of all the men or women in the world, why are you with him. Surely it's not just that he's attractive..."   
  
The words trailed off as Dubhain waved him silent with a warm smile. "Kumi and I? No, no, no." He seemed barely able to stop from giggling. "Oh sure I had a massive crush on him once (me and half of the school...) but no, we're not lovers. Kumi's as straight as they come. My god, you can't get him _away_ from girls. Money and girls, the loves of his life... and in that order, too," he finished with a laugh. It was so good natured Nokoru had to join him.   
  
"But then why," he asked the red head, "have you been living with him all this time. I assumed by that and they way you were towards each other, and the way he behaved..."   
  
Dubhain san was shaking his head but stopped at the last part. "Behaved? What did he do that made you think we were together?" he asked with such an innocently confused expression that it reminded him vividly of Akira.   
  
And like Akira some how he knew the precisely wrong question to ask. Nokoru's face grew hot and he stared at his hands. "Oh, it wasn't so much-, well I guess I-, it doesn't matter really." He tried his best to wave it off but Dubhain pressed on.   
  
"Did he say something to you? Did he do something?" When he asked the "do" Nokoru could swear the glow of the blush on his cheeks were so brilliant, the glare was blurring his eyes. "Oh that dirty bastard!" he exclaimed, uprooting the similarities to Akira with his curses. "I swear, sometimes he's too much! I mean he finds a little soft spot and just digs! I'll beat him over the head with his skillet, shifty, smooth talking fucker!" He snorted in displeasure and then calmed as he looked back to Nokoru. "I'm so sorry, Kaichou. He has many fine qualities but he can be the cruelest person if he's angry. I'm just thankful he doesn't have my gifts, I shudder to think what he'd do." He tentatively reached out and patted his shoulder (the many layers of cloth in-between an ample shield). "He shouldn't have done that to you... That was beyond uncalled for," he whispered. It was at this point that Nokoru realized that Dubhain wasn't guessing from previous experience, but _knew_ precisely what had happened.   
  
"How...? He told you? He-"  
  
"No, no," Dubhain replied quickly and tapped the side of his head, "I'm very sorry. I didn't intend to pry... well not a lot... but when I asked further the images just sprang out of you." Nokoru curled up again, wrapping his arms around his drawn up legs. Now more people knew of his humiliation. "Oh don't be upset. I'm so sorry, I won't tell a soul, I promise.   
  
"I wish I could tell you that that wasn't like Kumi but I'm afraid it is. He's vicious when he's angry."   
  
"But why-?"  
  
"Because you went after Jun'ko and I... and my episode. You weren't responsible for the last and you couldn't have known how sensitive of areas you stomping on for the first, but Kumi is rarely cool and rational unless money is involved. He felt us threatened and nothing will enrage him worse. You saw him at his very worst I'm afraid…. and I apologize."   
  
Nokoru nodded and wiped away a few tears that had sprung up as Dubhain continued. "I'll kick him as soon as I get home," he promised with a wide smile and thought of something else. "Even better, I'll have Jun'ko kick him. Far more effective," he commented with a cheerful giggle. Nokoru even had to join him again.   
  
As they quieted, Nokoru pursued his question again. "So, then, why do you live with him?"   
  
Again, Dubhain seemed ready to stop, to run... but he spoke. "Because he took me in... ordered me in, more accurately," he added with a fond smile.   
  
"What do you mean? Didn't you have a home?" he asked sincerely worried. Another's problems were always more pressing than his own.   
  
Dubhain's face grew very sad and pained as he shook his head. "No. No I didn't. I had a house I stayed at, but I didn't have a home. I had people who raised me, related to me, gave birth to me, but I didn't have a family either... I..." he paused a moment, trying to find the right words and then smiled through the forming tears. "Kumi would say that the gods thought it would be funny to dump me with fucking rats instead of with my real family, thinking I should have to work for my home rather than start off with it." He looked up at Nokoru and smiled. "He can be so damn sweet can't he?" He laughed and continued after taking a deep breath.   
  
"My birth family were Christian and they didn't appreciate my gifts. They called me 'possessed' and 'demonic'. They called me a monster sent to test their faith." Nokoru was so appalled by what he heard he could do little but sit with a sympathetic face as he continued.   
  
"I met Kumi and Jun'ko when we started seventh grade. He was so bright and loud and alive... He was the sun: all heat and fire... The fact that he was beautiful was yet another thing I felt instinctively and had to conceal at all costs from my family." His small, slightly freckled face darkened again for a moment. "He heard rumors that I was a psychic and flat out asked, fascinated by it and I was too sun struck to lie," he added with a laugh. "But he didn't get odd about it. Once he saw it was real it was nothing extraordinary, it was just me. Anything I did was just me." He touched a hand to his chest and smiled again.   
  
"It was less than a year after we met that he found the bruises on me, and by found I mean he grabbed a pair of scissors and cut down the back of my shirt. It's very hard to keep someone from taking off your shirt when someone does that," he added matter-of-factly. "Kumi's a firm believer in being direct.   
  
"There wasn't any shouting or demands or questions. He just looked at them and pulled me close. I don't know how long I cried in the empty home-ec room, but when I was done, him and Jun'ko helped me up and I wore Kumi's shirt out of the school. (No one seemed to think it odd that he was leaving school wearing his blazer without a shirt, but that's Kumi for you.)   
  
"He took me back to his home and told the maid that she should make up the cot I slept on when I stayed but that she didn't need to worry about putting it away any time soon, because I was staying from now on. I tried to argue but he wouldn't hear it and the maid certainly didn't object. When Kumi decided something that was it. He told me to go upstairs and get everything situated, and he and Jun'ko would be back.   
  
"Jun'ko said that Kumi walked straight into my parents home and started packing my things. When they tried to stop him he told them he'd found the bruises and that they had two options, they could either let me go quietly and continue with their lives, or... he would destroy them. His father held a lot of sway in the town and Kumi's... connections made him dangerous in and of himself. He promised to ruin them utterly and see them in jail for what they'd done. Needless to say, they let him take whatever he wanted."   
  
Dubhain wrapped his arms around himself. "They came back and Kumi threw me a welcome home party, just for the three of us. We ate ourselves sick with cake and ice cream and Kumi snatched a bottle of Plum wine from the kitchen. I woke up the next day around one-ish (a school day mind you) and found Jun'ko passed out next to me and Kumi half way draped across my legs and Jun'ko's." Dubhain san's small face lit up with a grin. "His face was right at Jun'ko's feet and he kept making faces in his sleep." He giggled lightly, recalling the memory and shook his head. "I was home. He's my family, they both are and I couldn't ask for a better one."   
  
Nokoru nodded, unable to keep from smiling with him. He couldn't imagine growing up in that nightmare; it was little wonder that he was attached to Ayashiko. Apparently he was exactly what Dubhain claimed him to be, a creature of extremes. "You know," he started again. "I tried looking for them once (my family), a couple years ago. I was curious what my parents had been doing.   
  
"The thing you have to remember with Kumi, is that his word with business is unshakable. He would never break a bargain, ever. But in other matters... he'll turn on a promise in a heartbeat and never think twice about it, if he feels justified.   
  
"I found my parents living with cousins of my mother. Kumi had seen to it that my father lost his job and the banks foreclosed on their house. Their life savings had vanished from their accounts over-night and debts appeared out of nowhere. Barely six months after he took me away, they were destitute. They'd lived with my grandparents for a bit but when _their_ business had suddenly became threatened my parents moved to another relative and then another. Last I heard they were moving to my father's family in America."   
  
Nokoru shook his head. As deplorable as he found his parents, he wasn't sure if he could pursue someone to the point of attacking those who unwittingly sheltered them. He understood Dubhain's comment that he was like the sun, but somehow Nokoru found a storm more fitting. Dark, powerful, able to rain down life giving water or strike down hapless mortals with lightning. The suddenness of his cruelty and the depth of his gentleness seemed to only fit with a storm, and he had a feeling that Dubhain san wasn't simply telling his this for the sake of conversation. Nokoru got the feeling he was being warned. "Dubhain san, I must ask: can you try to convince Ayashiko san to leave the campus? I won't pursue him, he'll be free to do whatever he likes elsewhere, just so long as he leaves my school."   
  
Dubhain san shook his head. "Why does it matter so much? We're not hurting anyone, we're not bringing in violence or drugs and we don't do enough to cause anyone to do more than they can," he stated, careful of his wording.   
  
"Your hurting the _school_ itself," he pleaded, trying to make him see. "This place was a fine place, free of your business until you three came."   
  
Again, Dubhain san shook his head, "Of course it wasn't. People are by nature imperfect. We haven't brought anything here that wasn't already here, we just... organized it. Why does it bother you so? You've worked yourself up to the point that you're ill; the pain coming from you is suffocating."   
  
"Of course it is!" he snapped back, though careful to keep his voice down so as to not alarm Suoh (wherever he was watching from). "This school is my life and you three are destroying it. Its all I have, and there may have been some before you came but now its choking out the goodness and integrity of the school like a kudzu vine let loose in a garden. You're killing it..." He brushed at his face as tears began to fall again. The frequency of his crying was infuriating to him but he was no longer able to stop it.   
  
"No, no..." Dubhain san said quietly, extending a tissue to him. "All you have? That's not a way to live. A school is stone and brick, you can't use it to fill up your life. That's not healthy. You should find someone to fill that void, not use a bunch of buildings," he stated but Nokoru shook his head.   
  
"I have friendship in Suoh and Akira and that's more than I thought I'd ever have. There will never be anything more than that. Not for me."   
  
Dubhain's face was the picture of concern and he started to talk but a voice behind him called out. "Tamae? Tamae are you alright?" He looked back to see Kameko san come around the same bend that Dubhain san had. "Oh. Good afternoon, Kaichou," he said with a bow. Nokoru had to admit that these two were certainly the nicest and most polite criminals he'd ever met. They seemed genuinely kind (unlike other criminals that had been putting on polite airs). That was perhaps the most frustrating thing about them, with the exception of Ayashiko san, they were people he might have befriended on other circumstances.   
  
"Good afternoon."   
  
"I'm fine Jun'ko, don't worry. I found the Kaichou here and we've been talking." Dubhain's face broke in the purest smile he'd seen him wear at the sight of Kameko san and Nokoru thought he saw a slight smile find the face of the number cruncher as well.   
  
"That's good, though we had better be going or we'll be late to meet Kumi."   
  
"Oh?" He looked down at his wrist though no watch was there. "Where's my watch?" he asked as he looked at his other, just as bare wrist.   
  
"You forgot it at home again. It's 5:47," he stated as he reached down to help Dubhain san up.   
  
Accepting the hand, the perplexed expression gave way to realization. "That's right. I realized it was gone in fifth period-"  
  
"Third." Kameko san corrected automatically.   
  
"Third, that's right. It's good you have such a good memory, Jun'ko." Nokoru had to cover his face with his fan to keep from showing his grin. Dubhain san seemed a bit absent minded, and this assumption was proved as he stood and Nokoru happened to notice that his socks were of two completely different colors. Of all the times that Suoh had called him scatterbrained, he'd never been guilty of doing that. "I hope you have a good evening, Kaichou."   
  
"I as well to both of you," he said properly, thankful that his tears had stopped before Kameko san had appeared. They'd gotten around the bend and the sounds of their feet were receding (one steady set along with a lighter irregular set that seemed to be skipping by the sound) when Suoh appeared behind him. Nokoru commented to the silent ninja, "They seem nice."   
  
Suoh only nodded and asked, "Are you ready to leave for dinner, or would you like to stay longer?"   
  
Nokoru shook his head and looked up Suoh's dark face. "No, lets be on our way. We don't' want to ruin Akira's dinner." He started to stand but Suoh reached down and wrapped an arm around his shoulders and helped him up. For a moment, Nokoru let himself indulge in the warmth of Suoh's embrace before he was brought up to stand properly. By will he didn't think he had anymore, he moved from Suoh's body and kept his expression of friendship. _"You should find someone to fill that void, not use a bunch of buildings,"_ he'd said, but Nokoru knew the futility in the notion. What he wanted couldn't be his, so an empty bed and a life spent on brick and stone was his only option. He was only deeply thankful that Suoh had found someone he loved so dearly and someday Nokoru would get the pleasure of playing with his and Akira's children.   
  
"Suoh..." he began, thinking of something. "You've been with me so much lately, have you had time to spend with Nagisa jo lately?"   
  
Suoh's face darkened in thought for second before he answered. "I've spoken with her for ample amounts time. I'm sure she's fine."   
  
"Suoh!" he admonished, coming to a deep stop. "That's no way to treat a young lady. She's your fiancé and you should treat her as such," he explained shortly. Sometimes Suoh astounded him, but no matter; he wouldn't let Suoh threaten his own happiness with his workaholism. "Why don't you go see her this evening, after dinner. I'm sure she'd love to see you."   
  
"I'm sure she has plans," he stated flatly.   
  
Nokoru sighed. "Well, then call her and see if she has plans. I'm sure she'd rather spend her evening with you anyway. Oh, I have an idea," he stated, reopening his fan with a flourish. "Akira always cooks enough to feed an army, lets call Nagisa jo and Utako jo and invite them to eat with us. That way you're still by my side but you get to spend time with your neglected fiancé." Suoh started to comment but Nokoru talked over him, "You surprise me, that you would let such a fine lady wait for you while you goof off with your friends. Here, I'll call her, myself."   
  
Suoh reached to stop him but Nokoru slapped his hand with his fan, a clear sign that he didn't intend to be stopped and Suoh sigh in resignation. "Azuya residence," came Nagisa san's timid voice.   
  
"Hello, this is Nokoru. How are you?"   
  
"Oh!" she said suddenly and then calmed down. "Oh, hello, Kaichou. How are you?" The jump was apparently due to her hearing of his troubles and a look at Suoh's pensive expression confirmed that he had been speaking to her about it. He wasn't very bothered by it, she was his fiancé after all so who else would he speak to about it.   
  
"I'm good. I was calling to ask you to join Suoh, myself, Akira, and probably Utako jo for dinner at Akira's home. I know you haven't been able to see Suoh as much as you'd like and I apologize for that. I'm afraid I've been monopolizing him."   
  
"That's perfectly alright. I understand that his work is important to him. As for dinner... I suppose that would be nice. I don't have any other plans for this evening. What time should I arrive?"   
  
"Wonderful!" he said brightly, feeling more like himself with every moment (despite the labored silences in her voice). "We're supposed to be there in a half hour but I have a feeling we'll be late so no will be upset if you are, too. I apologize for the suddenness."   
  
"That's alright. I'll be there."   
  
"Good," he said with a smile before hanging up. "See? That wasn't hard was it?"   
  
"I suppose..."   
  
Nokoru huffed at his tone and proceeded to call Utako jo. This would be a fun evening, whether Suoh wanted it to be or not.   
  


---

  
Kumi was running through some painfully boring chemistry when he dimly heard a pounding at his door. He looked back just in time to see Tamae open it and cover his ears from the music. "What? Is it a little loud for your delicate ears?" he asked with a laugh before turning down the volume.   
  
"How do you stand that noise? And don't try and tell me its good, cus I've heard it. You don't even know what half of those people are saying for Christ's sake."   
  
Kumi just laughed and patted the tiny red head. "Metal is the best when you don't understand the words, and anyway, German and Russian just fit metal too perfectly."   
  
His explanation earned him a sigh from Tamae before he called back for Jun'ko. Kumi wasn't sure why he did, but as Jun'ko walked over to him, he just said, "Sorry," and cracked him over the head.   
  
"Ow! What the fuck was that for?!" he demanded not of Jun'ko but the precog that had certainly put him up to it.   
  
"That was for being an asshole to that poor man! Sometimes I really _do_ wonder why I stick around you!" he stormed out of the room but Kumi knew by now that not only did Tamae expect to be followed but would become completely unmanageable if he didn't. (Kumi blamed it on him watching too many soaps.)   
  
"What!? Who exactly was I an asshole to?" he asked in his pursuit but stopped just outside the door, surprised that Tamae had rounded on him so soon.   
  
"The Kaichou of Clamp University division. You found an opening and you manipulated him!"   
  
"Oh, please..."   
  
"Oh, please, nothing! He's a very kind person and its-"  
  
"Come off it! He's either a liar or so completely self deluded that it's scary. _'I'm a gentleman,'_ Bullshit! He stands there all high and special like he's this pinnacle of humanity for not laying hands on those hormone junkies that faun all over him, meanwhile I doubt he'd touch a woman if his life depended on it. I bet if those were men hanging on him, he wouldn't be a 'gentleman'."   
  
"That's not the point."   
  
"Then what is? We're not here to make friends and that guy is fucking with our business."   
  
Tamae sighed and dropped down onto the sofa. "We were in business back home and we weren't making any mortal enemies."   
  
"He's the one making it personal. Just because he can't get some dick, he's dumping all his-" but before he could continue Tamae hit him over the head with his slipper.   
  
"That's not it, you simpleton. He's not horny, he's lonely. Well I'm sure he's horny too; he _is_ human and young, but its affection he's craving, not a piece of ass. Some people _**do**_ need more in their life, Kumi, believe it or not."   
  
He made a dismissive sound and slouched back as Tamae continued. "He's shut himself up for some reason and convinced himself that the only thing he has is that damn school. You're pushing him too hard Kumi. The money isn't worth it."   
  
That was all he could take. He stood up and looked at the red head like a stranger had just walked into his apartment. "Who are you? You're not Tamae, he would never say something like that. The money is always worth it!"   
  
"No, this is too much," Jun'ko interjected from behind him. "Destroying a person isn't a reasonable price."   
  
"Oh! So this is how it is!? You're both turning on me! That blonde haired pansy has sucked out your brains and sent you in here to drive me insane!"   
  
"Kumi..." they said in unison but he continued his rant.   
  
"We get this beautiful, luscious thing, just dropped into our laps, the promised land of milk and candy!"   
  
"Honey," Tamae corrected, looking terribly unimpressed with Kumi's dramatics.   
  
"A blessed, bountiful orchard of fruit begging to be picked, guarded by only an unhinged pillow biter and his two cronies... and you two want... to… stop? Are you insane?! Those buttered up, rich kids are eating out of our hands. Our hands!" He punctuated the statement by holding his hands out to them. "The profits we've made in only these months have been through the roof and you both know full well the stakes get higher as the school year winds down! The profits!" he pleaded to Tamae desperately, seeing his paradise pulling away from him, but Tamae just shook his head.   
  
"We can make more than enough at our school, Kumi. Clamp is just icing on the cake."   
  
Kumi let out a groan of frustration and flopped onto the chair dramatically. "You two are going to be the fucking death of me!" he cursed, jabbing a finger at them, before dropping his head into his hands. He sat there for a good while be fore he suddenly got up and headed for the door.   
  
"Where are you going?" Tamae asked, following after.   
  
"Out! You two maybe willing to throw away a spot that could keep us obscenely wealthy for the rest of our lives, but I'm not! You want to go have a pity party for the golden child, go right ahead!"   
  
"Kumi!?" Tamae called after him but before he could pursue, Kumi slammed the door behind himself.   
  
The tires let out a piecing cry as he burned them across the asphalt. Ticked yellow lines flew beneath the sleek motorcycle; the whine of the wind over his helmet drowning out the angry horns of the motorist on either side of him.   
  
Kumi was in no mood to wait in traffic or anything else right now and he tore through the streets at an insane rate, as if begging someone to dare to hit him. In the blind rage he was in he cared little for trivial things like traffic laws and safety, and he blew through the red light without blinking. What they hell was up with them?!   
  
Why were the world's problems his to worry about, anyway? Since when was he god damn Amnesty International? Did he ever ask for handouts? Did he expect the world to bend to his needs? Did he ever ask for anything he hadn't worked for? Fuck no!   
  
He worked damn hard for every cent he earned and he dared anyone to challenge that. Balancing the in take, judging the risks, managing the crowds, and handling the authorities. He did all of that on a daily basis. He'd been working since he was ten at this. Certainly he'd gotten the start up from his father but he'd been running solely on his own capital since ninth grade. He hadn't taken a yen from his father since then, how many ninth graders could say that. He had enough savings right now to provide for all three of them for a year, comfortably. How many eighteen year olds could claim that? Then there was Tamae.   
  
When he'd brought him home his father was perfectly clear. If he wanted to take in strays, he had to take care of them, and he had. Since that day he'd supported him, paid for his clothes, his books, any extras, and a lot of his food. The only thing his family had provided was a roof over their heads. He'd paid for it all with his profits, and now tuition was in with that. What did they think he worked for his health? He gunned the throttle harder making the world a blur.   
  
Sure he loved the work. The uncertainty, the danger, no other thrill came close, but it was still work and it had to be done. Did they think money came from the air? The profits they were pulling meant so much.   
  
The only thing he still used from his father were the dummy corporations to filter his earnings. He had laid out the plans for three companies to handle their cash flow and let them get out on their own totally. He'd planned for that to take till two years after college, but the massive profits they were gaining from Clamp School could speed that up to three, maybe two years from now. They'd be set in that little time, but no. They wanted to save the world.   
  
How was it his fault that some flake boxed himself in so tightly he couldn't find the door out? Why was it his job to walk away from a perfect opportunity just so that Wonderful sama was happy with his pathetic little life? Why was he the monster for wanting to do his job, damn it?!   
  
It wasn't the money, he could deal with any set back, it was the fact that they so blissfully declared the money unimportant. If they suddenly didn't have money for the rent, for dinner, they'd care about it. _'The money isn't worth it.'_ What pretentious crap, they were as bad as the blonde. Their security, their safety didn't matter just so long as the _Kaichou_ was blissful in his house of cards. Kumi slammed on the breaks hard and got off the bike fast, tearing the helmet off and throwing it as hard as he could. He didn't know where he was and he didn't care. Any passer by kept going fast and avoided making eye contact with the madman.   
  
His near black eyes were narrowed dangerously as he silently fumed, clenching and unclenching his fists. A spike of rage hit and he swung hard at the tree to his right and pulled back to lay back against it, sliding down to the ground. He looked down at his hand, blood splashed across his dark knuckles and he sighed. He was thinking about the shitty situation around this when a white limo pulled up into a nearby house and through the fancy traditional gates. He paid it little mind and went back to his fuming and shortly after the car exited. The gates were just swinging closed when a girl came running out the limo, all dressed in traditional clothes.   
  
The limo came to a halt and as she approached, the door to the rear swung open. Suddenly he knew why he recognized the girl, as henchman number one, Takamura, got out of the car. That was his girlfriend and who was the next one of the car but the lord and master himself.   
  
Kumi made a face as he bowed to the girl and said something or another before she pulled her boyfriend aside. As they talked, Kumi made some mocking over voices from where he sat, but his focus was slowly pulled more to the Kaichou. He was staying back discreetly and watching the couple with a soft, wistful look on his face. His expression was somewhere between happy and sad and Kumi's angry expression started to soften despite his best efforts. For a moment the Kaichou's eyes narrowed as Takamura gave his fiancé a light kiss and as soon as Takamura turned back to him the sadness was gone and he was instantly all smiles. Sitting quietly, Kumi watched the two climb back into the car and pull away.   
  
On the scattered leaves, Kumi leaned back to let his head rest against the hard bark and draped his right arm over his raised knees and stared into space.   
  



	4. Leaps

  
  
Author's note: This is based in Clamp's Clamp Campus Detectives.  
  
This story contains Shounen Ai (two guys in love). If you find that icky or otherwise have problems with that, that's between you and your sexual identity issues. Don't bother me with it, you've been aptly warned.  
  
I'd like to thank... Elihice. Yay again Elihice. Yay as well to Asha, aka Larania Drake, by wonderful, sweet Kajin who felt bad because I was unhappy at the low reviews I've been getting for this. Thanks to her and thanks to Elihice, who is good enough to read this without my constant whines to prod her into doing so. lol  
  
Oh and of course I own none of these characters, save my three terrors. If I did, I wouldn't be posting here now would I?   
  


**Leaps**

  
  
"Kumi...?" Tamae said softly, still standing there by the door, though so was Jun'ko.   
  
"He never left before... " Jun'ko stated numbly, but Tamae didn't look back, unwilling to look away from the door.   
  
Tamae softly muttered in reply, "He'll be back..."   
  
"Are you telling me," Jun'ko asked from his anchored spot. "...or asking me?"   
  
Tamae could barely keep from crying. "...Both." He could slowly feel wetness on his cheeks, despite his efforts. "What are we going to do... if he doesn't come back?"   
  
There was a long pause before the larger man replied, "It'll be okay." His voice sounded a steady as ever but Tamae could feel the worry and he stepped up and grasped Tamae's shoulder. "If I continue through school and behave as my parents want... the allowance they give me should be enough for us to be alright."   
  
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, running through possibilities. "I could get a job, maybe do readings over the Internet or something... Are we really talking about this? I mean..." his voice started to crack as he felt Jun'ko drape an arm around his neck as he came closer behind him.   
  
"No, no. I'm just worrying, you know me, I'm not happy unless I'm adding something," he tried to joke but Tamae turned in his arms to bury his head in his chest.   
  
His whole world was crashing down on him, on them both. "I'm sorry... this is all my fault. I shouldn't have done that." He clutched at Jun'ko's shirt and sobbed into the dark blue fabric. "I'm always pushing him. Why do I do that?! Why can't I just let things go?!"   
  
"Shhh..." he felt Jun'ko's arms tighten around him and tried to remember a time where Kumi had been so angry, trying to reassure himself that Kumi _would_ be back but he honestly couldn't. Kumi got mad but he'd never stormed out. Stormed around: yes, screamed and shouted: often, threw things: a few times, but never had he left. He pulled harder on Jun'ko's shirt, stretching the knit in his small hands, and tried to stop crying but couldn't help it. Not even the thought that he was being held by Jun'ko (who's arms had always been there to comfort and protect, blocking out the hash and noisy world with their gentle stillness) not even that could make the growing hollow feeling go away.   
  
He could feel Jun'ko's own worry and uncertainly come forward and even as dim as Jun'ko's emotions were, the concern was strong and palatable. As Tamae was feeling his subdued but rising emotions, he felt something else jump into the foreground, something he couldn't pin point. Clear but cluttered, forceful but hesitant, Tamae couldn't pinpoint the emotion, though he thought he might have felt it dimly a few times in the large number cruncher. Jun'ko pulled back from him a little and as Tamae looked up at him, he suddenly found Jun'ko's mouth against his, his one hand reaching up to cup the side of his face.   
  
As surprising at it was, he felt Jun'ko, all of Jun'ko: his want and worry and need and tenderness he had always hid so well. The surprise lasted only a moment and Tamae quickly met him with fervor all his own, catching the larger man off guard a little. Jun'ko smiled through the kiss and used his other arm to pull Tamae's body tight against him. To finally feel Jun'ko all around him was intoxicating and as he let Jun'ko deepen the kiss he began to undo the larger man's collar.   
  


---

  
Suoh glanced out the window and watched the scenery whip past. Things were getting difficult but thankfully Nagisa jo had kept up appearances and Nokoru seemed happy for it. He would have to send her something nice; the smile on Nokoru's lips was a rarity these days. No matter how bad things got, romance always brightened him; Suoh's own romance even more than others. Nokoru loved to see those close to him happy so Suoh fought hard to keep that appearance.   
  
"Nagisa jo looked lovely this evening. That's a new fragrance for her isn't it?"   
  
Suoh blinked at the sudden conversation and looked over at the smiling blonde. "I suppose."   
  
"Suoh..." he admonished with a deep frown, as Suoh prepared for another lecture. "You should pay more attention to her, she's your fiancé." He only nodded to reply and Nokoru continued. "If you're not careful you might hurt her feelings, or worse. She's very attractive and tender hearted, if you don't treat her properly she might find someone else." Again he nodded, not liking the direction the lecture was taking.   
  
Nokoru sighed and his face darkened for a moment, but Suoh quickly spoke up. "You shouldn't worry about that. She understands that this is a trying time; you don't need to be concerned for us. We're very happy together."   
  
Nokoru's smile suddenly returned at full force and Suoh was suddenly deeply sorry that it was all a lie, when the wedding that had been planed would have probably have made Nokoru happier than anything else. He was only thankful that he hadn't told Nokoru before the Triplets arrival. All measures had to be taken to ensure that stressful things like that were kept from him.   
  
"I'm glad you two are so well suited for each other. I know your mother would have found you a bride, but I think that she'll be more to you than just a mate."   
  
Suoh nodded to this, his face softening. "Yes, we have a great deal of common ground."   
  
Nokoru nodded happily. "But not too much. A couple needs diversity to truly work. Her softness is a good counter balance to your harshness." He huffed with a smile. "I don't think that she'd ever shout at me to do my paperwork, at least."   
  
Suoh rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't bet on that, she's heard enough stories that she'd know what to do with you."   
  
He laughed at that and Suoh felt weak at the sound of it. It was like a window had been thrown open after spending months in a dank cell, but he steeled himself against the sensation and behaved as though nothing was out of the ordinary. He missed that sound so very much his chest suddenly felt tight.   
  
As the car pulled into Nokoru's home, Suoh got out and held the door for him. "I'm sorry," Nokoru said as he stepped out and looked up at the night sky.   
  
Perplexed, Suoh closed the door and let the limo pull away. "Excuse me?"   
  
"I'm sorry," he repeated as he looked back to him. "I've been horrible to be with lately. Truly. I wish I wasn't but I can't seem to change it."   
  
Seeing his bright face drop back into the deep frown that had become the standard felt like a deathblow to Suoh. "No, you don't ever have to apologize to me."   
  
Nokoru shook his head. "Yes I do. I've put a great deal of strain on you. I can see it in your eyes. I know you've tried to hide it, but I know you well."   
  
"No, I'm fine. I know the school is important to you."   
  
He sighed and drug a hand through his hair. "It's everything. It's all I have."   
  
"Of course it isn't." Suoh grabbed his shoulder and stepped up before him. "You manage how many of your family's divisions? Not to mention the good things you do for people. How many people have you helped, saved even. You give everything of yourself. This school is only a small part of you. It could fall into a crack in the earth in a massive earthquake and you would still have so much."   
  
Nokoru looked near crying again so he continued. "You still have Akira and me, and Utaku jo and Nagisa jo. We'll always be here. I promised I would never leave your side, I meant that..." He leaned down to him and Nokoru reached out to catch his shirt in his hand.   
  
For a moment Nokoru looked to be teetering on doing something and Suoh waited, unmoving, but instead of Nokoru pulling to him for comfort (as he'd done a few times since this disaster started) he released his shirt and smoothed it stiffly. "...You're happy with her? She's your true love?"   
  
Caught off guard by these questions, Suoh was thankful that his charge was staring at the ground and missed the expressions that crossed his face. He quickly gathered himself and lied clearly, without hesitation. "Yes, of course. You found a perfect match for me."   
  
Nokoru paused for a moment before looking up at him with his smile though it was through tears. "I'm glad. Let's... let's get in, it's getting late."   
  
Suoh nodded and followed after him. There wasn't a lie too large or a price too steep to continue the charade. He would do whatever was necessary to keep Nokoru happy.   
  


---

  
Jun'ko woke with the sunlight pouring through the window. The first sensation he felt was soreness and exhaustion that took him back to the days so long ago when he'd had a brief stint on the soccer team with Kumi. The previous night came back to him suddenly and an uncharacteristic smile (however faint) crossed his features and he reached across his bed to where his new lover would be. He lifted his head as he found an empty space. "Tamae?"   
  
The bedroom was uncomfortably empty and he felt a wash of doubt before he squashed it, assuring himself that Tamae was only taking a shower or some such. As he was in Tamae's room, there wasn't a robe for him to put on so he pulled on his boxers before heading off in search of the psychic. He had thought of going out without, but the dim hope that Kumi had returned during the night made him dress.   
  
Walking a door down the hall, Jun'ko found his lost red head, sitting the floor of Kumi's room. The bed was made and the books he'd been working on last night still laid out, the pencil across the notebook. Looking small and lost, Tamae was just sitting there, staring. Quietly, Jun'ko knelt behind him and wrapped an arm around him. As he did, he saw the cards spread out before him in what could have once been a clean spread in the Celtic cross he always favored but laid on top of them was several layers of other spreads that Jun'ko couldn't name. Scattered over the many cards were the coins Tamae used at times, a few Nordic runes he rarely did, and even a hanging crystal was added to the mix. "I keep trying..." Tamae muttered, making no move to him. "I don't understand why I can't see him."   
  
"You're upset and emotional. You'd be able to see if you were calm." He brought his other arm around him, in a futile attempt to comfort him when he knew he wasn't what Tamae wanted. "It'll be okay, I promise." he knew it was horrible to be jealous of his friend, but some things couldn't be helped.   
  
Popular and handsome, Kumi burned with a brightness that Jun'ko couldn't hope to even come near. His fiery passion made him a magnet for everyone and few weren't drawn to him in one way or another. Compared to his own cold, mechanical self, he couldn't begin to blame Tamae for wanting Kumi. Kumi was his oldest friend and one of his two best friends and he would never dream of spiting Kumi anything, but still... he envied him Tamae's love, no matter how wonderful it had been to indulge the fantasy of being Tamae's lover for a night.   
  
Still, Tamae made no move to accept his arms and he withdrew them to lay his hands on Tamae's shoulders. "I'm sorry. I know I'm not what you truly want; I wish I could be that... If I could bring him back to you I would, honestly I would, but can't I at least be here for you?" Tamae turned to look at him, his exotic hazel eyes wide, but Jun'ko continued, fearful of his hasty, desperate actions of the previous night destroying his friendship with Tamae (possibly his only friend left). "I'm not pretending to take his place, I know I couldn't, but I'm here. Even if he came back now, he never felt for you as you did him."   
  
"Jun'ko-" Tamae started but Jun'ko was staring at his own hands in his lap as he spoke over him.   
  
"I know how you feel about him, it's all over your face when you look at him. You've gotten better at concealing it over the years, but still..."   
  
"No, no, Jun'ko. I'm not in love with Kumi. I... Well once I was interested in him, smitten more than anything. I mean, he just swept in out of nowhere and saved me like he had drawn my name from a hat. He was my knight in shinning armor." Jun'ko dipped his head further but felt Tamae come forward to look up at him. "I love Kumi very much... but I'm not in love with him. He's family to me, dear family..." his light voice trailed off as he looked back to the room but turned back to him. "...But only family. You..." Jun'ko felt a shiver go up his spine as Tamae brought his hand up to cup the side of his face. "You I love, too, and... I'm _in_ love with you."   
  
Tamae leaned up to kiss him but Jun'ko backed up, the confusion of the previous statement vivid on his normally placid features. "What? No. No, not me. I'm cold and empty, no different than a household computer. You can't love me," he started to stand up, distressed by the ridiculousness of the turn of events. Love _him_? That was nonsense; there wasn't anything there to love, just empty numbers and figures. Tamae was either hysterical or pitying him.   
  
"Jun'ko!" he demanded, holding him from standing as he threw his arms around his neck, letting his robe fall open carelessly. "No, you're not cold, you're warm and tender- No, you are. You really are! Most people don't see you, they just glance by, look no harder, but I see you... Your feelings are gentler, quieter... buried under doubt... and a little lost, but I can feel them. I see your concern, your selflessness, your empathy... I see you..." He let his voice trail off as he brought his lips against Jun'ko's again and this time met them.   
  
He kissed him deeply for a good while, Tamae crawling up into his lap to wrap his legs around Jun'ko's waist, before he pulled back to nuzzle Jun'ko's neck. "I love you. I have for _so_ long..."   
  
Jun'ko clutched him tightly and breathed in the soft vanilla scent of his soap as a tightness gripped his chest. How beautiful, dear Tamae could want someone like him was incomprehensible, but... "Thank you," was all he could whisper at first. Over and over again, he repeated it. In his young life, he couldn't remember ever being told that by anyone. Why would they? He was little more than living circuitry, a soulless mechanism. He'd been touched that anyone would even befriend him, could show even that much affection for living calculator... but to _love **him**?_ "Thank you. I... love you, too... So much..." It wasn't much, surely. His love was less valid, less whole than a normal person's love, someone with a real heart... but for some reason the shining creature in his arms leaned back and smiled at him and proclaimed his imperfect love worthy as he kissed him again.   
  


---

  
Suoh held the door for Kaichou as he got into the car. He seemed remarkably good today, almost normal and Suoh thought the dark rings around his eyes were lessened, though he was very somber, almost resigned. "Kaichou," he began at the car pulled out to take to the school. "You seem well today."   
  
He nodded. "I'm going to bring an end to this all today. For good or bad, it'll be done with and we can get on with our lives," he stated. There was no hint of doubt in his voice and that worried Suoh deeply.   
  
"Kaichou?"   
  
The smaller man, his charge and reason for living, turned to look up at him and smiled brightly. "Don't worry, everything will be better once this is done with. No matter the outcome, things will be better than they've been, I promise."   
  
Nokoru patted his hand warmly but Suoh wasn't able to keep his brow from knitting. After how odd he'd been lately and the depression that had been crushing him, to hear such a final statement left him deeply concerned. That concern only grew to a dangerous pitch by the time the car deposited them at the school.   
  
"Good morning, Akira," he said brightly to Ijyuin san as they entered the counsel office.   
  
"G-good morning, Kaichou," he stammered, not quite sure what to make of the cheerfulness he saw. Suoh could see a hopeful gleam in him as he flashed Suoh a smile. Despite Akira's happy acceptance of the change, Suoh only got more worried.   
  
"Suoh," Nokoru started, snapping him from his musings.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I want you to call ahead to my morning classes and tell the teachers I'll be absent for important business."   
  
Suoh felt his face darken further as he pulled out his phone. "Should I call my classes as well, and Ijyuin's...?"   
  
"Why are we missing class, Kaichou?" came Akira's light voice as he brought over some cookies to them, his face the picture of innocent confusion.   
  
"You two don't have to miss, but if you want to I doubt I can stop you. I'm going to finish our problems with Ayashiko san and his associates, Akira, and I think it will take the better part of the morning to do it."   
  
"Oh?" he blinked and looked to Suoh for a hint, but all he got was Suoh's dark expression. "How?"   
  
Nokoru only shook his head and waved Suoh to proceed with his calls, which he diligently went through (including his own and Ijyuin san's). After which Nokoru spoke again. "Now, if you would be so kind, I would like you to call this number."   
  
Suoh accepted the small piece of paper and looked at it, recognizing it immediately. "It's Ayashiko's number," he half stated for Akira and as a question to Nokoru.   
  
"Yes, I need you to ask him to meet me at Gamera hall. I've already insured it will be unoccupied."   
  
Suoh's expression was pure distrust but again, he made the call. The phone rang four times and Suoh was near giving up when he heard Ayashiko answer. "Good morning, Takamura san," he answered brightly. "And how are you this fine, fine winter day?"   
  
Red filled his vision but he managed to speak calmly. "The Kaichou would like to meet with you this morning."   
  
"Splendid. I'm always up for a visit and I was actually about to call him myself. You sure the little blonde isn't a bit psychic?"   
  
Interested in little short of the bastard's head on a pike, Suoh continued without answering. "Meet him at the Clamp Gamera hall."   
  
"Oh... a party is it? Well, I'll have to dress accordingly." With that he hung up and Suoh was somehow able to keep from snapping the phone in two.   
  
"He'll be there."   
  
"Wonderful," he said, standing from his desk and heading out the door.   
  


---

  
As they waited outside the main doors, the Kaichou was content to sit on the steps and stare off into space. Akira wanted nothing more than to ask Takamura sempai what was happening but, as they didn't dare leave earshot of the Kaichou, that wasn't possible. Something was very wrong, he could see that painted across Takamura sempai's face and it was beginning to scare Akira badly. The Kaichou had been frighteningly depressed lately and when he'd told Suoh that Utako san had voiced concerns about Kaichou doing something "drastic" Suoh had quietly agreed with her. Eventually Akira had finally understood that by drastic they meant suicide.   
  
Akira had been waking up many nights from terrifying nightmares that took hours to fade. Too many times he had slipped into the Kaichou's property and watched him sleeping from his windowsill. It was one of the few times he was thankful for his "skills" and he had even once or twice slipped into the room to check on him. He was so afraid he would come in one morning and get a phone call that Kaichou was hurt or worse. He busied himself with cooking things he knew the Kaichou liked to cheer him up and because Utako had said that depressed people may skip meals. There was little he could do besides provide support, meals, and a watchful eye from the window ledge.   
  
Somehow, it felt like all he was doing was watching from window ledges these days. He wanted to help, but if Takamura sempai couldn't he didn't know what he could do. He tried his best to be cheerful so that Kaichou would be cheerful and sometimes it worked... but then a moment later he looked all hollowed out inside. He wished Utako san was here, she would know what to do, or at least she would know what was going on for sure.   
  
Once, before this all happened, Utako said that Kaichou was unhappy too often to be healthy. Akira hadn't understood and told her that the Kaichou was always happy (except when doing paperwork); he was one of the happiest people that Akira knew. Utako san had just shaken her head. _"He makes the mistake of thinking he can fill his heart with other people's happiness instead of his own. Every good person is warmed by the joy of others, but everyone needs to be happy for themselves' as well. Kaichou doesn't seem to be very good at that. All he has is little diversions and other's happiness, and no one can be happy living like that."_   
  
He still wasn't sure about what she said. He certainly seemed happy, or at least before this he did, and certainly he loved to see other people happy, but...   
  
He was thinking that over again as the high whine of a motorcycle filtered through the air. Jet black with candy apple flames dancing up the sides, the ninja motorcycle shined and sparkled in the morning light, so slick it seemed to be almost liquid. Its rider was clad in a black leather coat and a black helmet with matching flames. The Kaichou stood at his spot on the middle landing on the stairs and instead of parking the bike on the street (though he wasn't even allowed to have a motor vehicle here), Ayashiko san rode the machine up onto the walkway and up the stairs, to stop before the Kaichou.   
  
With a flourish, he stepped off the bike and pulled off his helmet, looking like an American action hero. "Well, Kaichou. You called this party, I certainly hope you intend to dance." As he spoke in his disrespectful way he unzipped the leather coat and tossed it back onto the bike with the helmet. Not in the uniform they had always seen him in, his pants were baggy and black with a chain looped at his waist. His t-shirt was orange and yellow with a chain around his neck and two steel hoops in his one ear. Though definitely not his style, Akira thought the clothes looked very well kept; even the heavy black boots looked brand new.   
  
"I certainly am if you are," Kaichou said as he waved him towards the hall. He and Takamura sempai stepped aside to let them walk past, but before they could follow, Kaichou stopped them and said that they would need some time in private. Takamura sempai looked near swallowing his tongue and Akira didn't blame him, but Kaichou smiled his old smile and said, "Don't worry, you'll both still be with me. Everything will be better," and with that the disappeared within the dark building.   
  
They were quiet a long moment until Akira spoke up. "Takamura sempai...?"   
  
Suoh's only response was to shake his head with a gnawing worry in his eyes and Akira was sure a similar emotion was in his.   
  



	5. Precious Things

  
  
Author's note: This is based in Clamp's Clamp Campus Detectives.  
  
Authors Note: Sorry released this chapter so late. I utterly forgot. Not only is it late, but its a small one too. I'll out out the next one early top make up for it.  
  
Oh and of course I own none of these characters, save my three terrors. If I did, I wouldn't be posting here now would I?  
  


Precious Things

  
  
Kumi walked in behind the Kaichou, looking around himself at the grand room. It was as over done as everything else here, but Kumi shrugged. Everyone had their things.  
  
In the center of the room was only a man in a suit standing at a table with two chairs. Sitting before him was a deck of cards still in the wrapper. He raised an eyebrow at this, curious what the little flake was up to. "Have a seat, Ayashiko san."  
  
He did as he was asked and leaned back, setting the new boots on the table with a thump. "So what do you have in mind, Kaichou? A friendly card game?"  
  
"A business-like card game, is what I was actually looking for. While appealing to your sense of morals has proven fruitless," Kumi snorted at that. "...I have it on good information that your word in business is unshakable."  
  
"I wouldn't be in business very long if it wasn't. Adulterers get sued, murders get thrown in jail, but squelch on a deal for a thousand yen and you get a new air hole in your head." He illustrated the fact by shaping his hand like a gun and pointing it at his head. "People say that morals are the most important thing, but nothing like money brings out the worst in people."  
  
"On that," he commented as he took his seat. "...I agree completely."  
  
"So, what business are we handling this morning?"  
  
The Kaichou opened one of his fans and watched him. "Our business, finished and over with." When Kumi only raised his eyebrow again, he continued. "One game, the stakes: if you win, I stop all disruption of your work, and if I win, you leave the campus and practice your craft elsewhere."  
  
Kumi snorted again and planted his feet on the floor, letting the chair slam forward. "I thought you were serious, Kaichou. Why would I risk so much to get something I already have." He stood and made to leave. "When you're serious, call me."  
  
"Wait!" Kumi turned back as the Kaichou called out. "Wait. Name your stakes then, I'll gamble anything."  
  
Kumi's eyes narrowed and he retook his seat with a smug look on his dark face. "Tisk, tisk, Kaichou. You should never let your opponent see your desperation, but then again... I already know full well how despasrate you are." He grinned deviously as he leaned over towards him. If he was going to do this, he might as well have as much fun as humanly possible. The red wash he saw spread across the pale man's cheeks made it almost bearable. He was just too easy, but Kumi thought that that was only due to the stress (after all he'd gone this far in his life without assaulting men on the street). "Now... the stakes..."  
  
He thought on this for a moment and turned his shark's grin on his small opponent. He was making this way too easy. "Well, first off, to play a hand of poker for one bet is missing the whole point of the game. Poker is chicken with cards, the stakes getting higher with each round till someone flinches."  
  
"So... you want to add money to the game?"  
  
"Money? No, no. I hold my wallet near and dear to my heart, but you? You couldn't care less... you sick-o, you. No... I believe in playing for high stakes so lets keep with the theme of the ante. Each turn one of us will lay something on the table, a challenge, a loss of something the other wants... for instance: on my turn I would challenge, 'You refuse to show at the Christmas ball,' since I know how you hate to disappoint. Then you can counter with a bet of your own, whatever you think I would hate to loose. As we go the stakes rise, but if at any point you think they've gone too far, you have two escape routes. One: you can make a counter bet and call like in a standard game, and two: you can fold. If you fold, the last bet made by the opposition is null and void, but you forfeit and have to adhere to all the other bets on the table."  
  
"I won't fold."   
  
. Kumi didn't reply but only leaned on his elbow on the table. "As for the ante... If you win, I leave the campus for good... and if I win, you do."  
  
"Excuse me?" the blonde blinked in clear shock.  
  
"You heard me, and I don't mean you resign as Kaichou, I mean you leave, utterly. You're not a student, you're not a teacher, you're not a crossing guard. Nothing." He tapped his index and middle fingers, waiting for what he knew would come.  
  
"Deal." The Kaichou had the look of a man on death row, but he nonetheless went for it. Kumi had to give him points for that.  
  
"You heard the man," he ordered the dealer and the man began to unwrap the cards.  
  


---

  
Nokoru looked over the scraps of paper before him, calculating what his next move should be. The game hadn't gone on too long and already a frightening loss was laid out for both men. Against Kumi was a large amount of money (his admitted true love), the ability to "arrange" matches for a year, and his motorcycle. Against himself, his appearance at a wildlife fundraiser, his commitment to aid the Matoshi temple, his position at Akira's wedding, and just this last turn, his position at Suoh's. It was his turn to counter. The stakes were dizzyingly high, but he had decided last night that he would risk everything. If Kumi demanded his life, he would continue the game. No price was too great... he had nothing left to loose.  
  
Picking up his pen, he wrote quickly on the piece and laid it on the pile. "You withdraw from all business for a year." Nokoru's hope was that during the year he and Kameko san and Dubhain san would find legitimate jobs and give up their current professions entirely.  
  
At his bet, Kumi whistled. "Not bad, Kaichou. I think you've gotten the hang of this, but..." he lifted his own pen and scratched out a single word before tossing it out onto the pile. "...I think I've let you loose enough. I'd hate to seem greedy."  
  
Nokoru narrowed his eyes at the gambler's smirk and snatched up the paper. Written only was... "Ijyuin? I don't understand. He doesn't belong to me, I certainly can't gamble him."  
  
"I'm not talking about possession, I'm talking about lives and the destruction of them. Not only him, but his mothers', and lets not forget that little fiancé of his."  
  
Nokoru was feeling flushed and panicky. What was he ranting about? "I don't understand. How do you propose to ruin his life?!"  
  
Kumi's only response was to smirk again (sending homicidal thoughts through Nokoru's normally passive mind) and to write on another paper. He tossed this over to him as well but Nokoru didn't need to pick it up. He could see it plainly from where he sat. Not words, but a drawing of a mask, hastily filled in with his black pen. Like someone had taken a hammer to a window, he could almost hear the shattered glass fall around him. "I..."  
  
"Come now, Kaichou. You were the one that decided that our companions were targets, remember?" He leaned back in his seat again to prop his feet up. "Did you think I wouldn't dig up every teeny tiny detail on them? You've kept it even from your die-hard ninja, but that won't last, I assure you. You loose with that on the table and I promise, there won't be anything secret about it."  
  
Blankly, Nokoru stared at his dear friend's name and tried to figure out a way around this; there had to be a way! He couldn't loose! The school, his life... Akira... Akira was his friend... one of his only two friends in the world. He'd discovered the truth only a few years ago, but had never said a word. Akira was too kind to take something someone truly cared for, just bobbles and trinkets and two costumed defenders (that had been returned promptly to his defense). Nokoru often worried what would happen when Suoh discovered it, his ridged sense of duty and law might cause true problems... but never had he dreamt that anyone else would expose him.  
  
He could feel tears start to well up as he went over it all for the twentieth time and again found no way out. He could continue, make a harsh and cruel counter bet and call him... but if he lost... if Kumi's hand was better, Akira would pay the price. In the end, it didn't matter how good his own hand was, how sure he was he'd win... he couldn't risk that... he just couldn't.  
  
With surprisingly steady hands, he laid his cards onto the table. "I fold."  
  
Staring downward, he heard Kumi stand, shoving back his chair. "Yeah, I know." His heavy footsteps came around to where he sat. "Don't feel so defeated. You're just not ruthless enough, but really... Would you want to be?" he patted Nokoru's shoulder and started out the door.  
  
"I'll... I'll have my withdrawal papers on the chairman's desk before the end of today."  
  
"I know," was his only reply as he exited the doors, leaving Nokoru to stare at the pile.  
  
As the door swung open again, wider and faster, he quickly reached out and snatched the last two papers that Kumi had laid and shoved them into his pocket. "Kaichou?"  
  
"Kaichou?" Came the chorused voices of his friends. They were quickly at his side as the dealer bowed and headed out the door. "Kaichou what was this? What happened?" Suoh demanded.  
  
"Are you alright?" Akira ducked down to look at his face, laying a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Nokoru put on a sad smile and looked up at them both. "Its alright. Its over."  
  
"How?" Akira asked and Nokoru waved his fan over the cards and papers.  
  
"I played him a game for the school. I couldn't think of any other way to end it." He paused for a moment and lowered his head. "I lost... but its over. It needed to end, either way."  
  
"What did you loose, exactly?" Suoh asked, his voice coming from somewhere over his shoulder as Akira reached out to pick up the cards.  
  
"I don't understand..." Akira said, looking at both hands. "Isn't this one better?" he asked innocently, holding up Nokoru's hand. "I mean this one only has-"  
  
"Ijyuin!" Suoh snapped at him, pushing the cards back down onto the table, but Nokoru stood as Akira face fell at Suoh's harshness.  
  
"It's alright, don't shout at him, Suoh." He stepped over and laid a hand on Akira's arm. "It's alright. I thought mine were good, but the stakes became too high, and I had to fold. That means I had to give up and loose, rather than risk loosing something too valuable," he explained when he met with confusion from Akira.  
  
"What did you loose?" asked Souh, ever on topic.  
  
Nokoru sighed. "My place at this school."  
  
"You have to resign?!"  
  
"Oh, no Kaichou!" Akira took his hand as Suoh fumed. "No, you can't do that!"  
  
Nokoru shook his head as the smile came back. "I don't have to resign, I have to withdraw entirely. I can no longer be a part of Clamp School."  
  
"Like hell you can't!" Suoh shouted as he turned to head out the door.  
  
"Suoh, no! It was a deal!" he ordered and Suoh stopped, looking back enraged. "It was a deal. Ayashiko san risked a great deal as well. I simply lost." He took a deep breath suddenly feeling very weak. "It's over now," he said, more to himself than either of them.  
  
Akira wrapped an arm around him and led him to a chair. "Its okay, Kaichou. Sit down for a moment." Suoh came back over and knelt down before him, the picture of concern. "You stay with, Kaichou, Takamura sempai, and I'll retrieve the car," he said as he started to leave but Nokoru caught him.  
  
"Suoh, why don't you get the car and Akira can keep me company." Suoh seemed to consider challenging that but he nodded and left.  
  
"Kaichou?"  
  
He looked over to Akira and brushed the side of his face lightly. "I'm afraid I have to resign my position in your wedding as well, Akira. It was one of the things that were gambled. I'm so very sorry."  
  
"Can you still come?" Nokoru nodded and Akira's smile came back a bit. "Then everything is just fine. Are you sure its a good thing that its over? You love the school..."  
  
Nokoru felt tears well up again but bit them back, looking up at Akira instead. "Yes. Things couldn't stay they way they were. My sadness was hurting you two." Akira made to deny it but Nokoru continued. "It was. I think you were better at hiding it, but you both were miserable for me and always worrying. It will be better now. I can't spend my days trying to find a way to stop him anymore; it's out of my hands." He opened his hands to illustrate that but sighed. "Of course it would have been better to win, but this way there isn't anymore stress. I've let it go."  
  
Tears sprung up instantly in Akira's eyes and in his childish way, hugged him suddenly. Nokoru jumped at the surprise of it but quickly reciprocated. He had them, his friends, and they would be happy. That happiness was everything now and he focused on how wonderful it would be to play with their children and grandchildren some day. They didn't release each other till Suoh returned.  
  



	6. Thicker Than Blood

  
  
Author's note: This is based in Clamp's Clamp Campus Detectives.  
  
This story contains Shounen Ai (two guys in love). If you find that icky or otherwise have problems with that, that's between you and your sexual identity issues. Don't bother me with it, you've been aptly warned.  
  
Sorry about the lateness again. I said I would post it early and here it is Sunday night. I'll be sure to get the next and last chapter up on time.  
  
Oh and of course I own none of these characters, save my three terrors. If I did, I wouldn't be posting here now would I?   
  


Thicker than Blood

  
  
Tamae woke for the second time that day and eve to the feeling of warmth and love all around him. His face was buried in Jun'ko's chest as he laid in his arms. The gentle heat of his emotions bathed him and Tamae felt healthier than he ever had. It was like it had felt waking up that first morning when Kumi had brought him home to stay (minus the hangover). It felt... Kumi!   
  
Suddenly Tamae bolted up and there, asleep in the chair across from the bed, was Kumi. His abilities hadn't lied, he _had_ felt him. Fighting to keep from crying, Tamae grabbed his robe and wrapped it around his bare body. Padding softly across the carpet, Tamae came to a stop before his friend, glancing back at his sleeping lover. He tentatively reached out to touch Kumi, verifying he was actually there, and with a sob Tamae jumped on Kumi, leaving the ringmaster to wake to a crying psychic on his lap. "Huh?"   
  
As he blinked his way into wakefulness, Jun'ko woke as well. "Kumi?!" He pulled the covers around himself hastily.   
  
Amidst some hysterical ranting, Tamae managed to make a few words understood. "You came back! You came back! Thank god. I'm so sorry; I'll never do it again. Please, don't leave. Please. Please..."   
  
Kumi wrapped him up in a hug and tried to quiet him. "Of course, I came back. How could you doubt it? Don't cry." He hushed him, softly. "I was pissed off but I wouldn't just ditch you two. Jun'ko?" he asked, looking over to the happy but beet red bookkeeper. "Did you think I wouldn't come back?" His only answer was to lower his head. "Hey," he grabbed Tamae's chin and made him look up at him. "You remember what I said, way back when? We're family, so that means I'm stuck with you two prudes."   
  
Tamae laughed and hugged him tighter and realized for the first time that he was wearing new clothes. "Kumi, where did you go? You didn't have these before."   
  
"The Kaichou challenged me to a game of cards, so I had to look nice and my clothes were quite done for after sleeping under a tree."   
  
Tamae's brows knitted of their own accord as he tried to guess at what had happened. "Cards? Kumi what did you do?"   
  
He sighed but Tamae didn't let go or back off. "He wanted me to leave the school so he played me for it. I won of course but it was a good idea on his part."   
  
"What did he loose?" Jun'ko asked, still staying wrapped up like a Christmas present wrapped by a five year old.   
  
"He has to leave the school permanently," he chimed, as if this was the most amusing thing in the world.   
  
"Kumi!" they yelled in unison as Tamae climbed out of his lap clumsily.   
  
"How could you?! After everything I told you, pleaded with you about?! That poor man! Kumi how-!" Suddenly Tamae's anger vanished as Kumi stood up. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, please!" He wrapped his arms about Kumi's bicep, intent not to let him leave again. "I don't care about him, its okay. Just don't leave!" He was dropping back into hysterics and all the reassuring things Kumi had just got done saying were instantly forgotten. He didn't have much at all in the world, just Jun'ko and Kumi, and the simple thought of loosing either was enough to make him come apart.   
  
"It's okay Tamae, it's okay. I'm not leaving. I was just pacing, I promise."   
  
"...Tamae, shhhh." He turned to see that Jun'ko had left the bed to hold him while he kept his death grip on Kumi's arm. "It's okay. He isn't leaving."   
  
"No, of course not. It's okay." Kumi knelt with him as Tamae's legs gave out. Still sobbing, he curled against Kumi, (feeling his fiery twist of emotions so hot they nearly burned him) while he pulled Jun'ko against himself (indulging in the soft, steady warmth that rolled off of him, blotting out the chaos of the other man). As Tamae let down all his barriers to drown in the emotions of his family, content to just be held back. "You don't have to apologize for yelling at me, Tamae. That's your job."   
  
Through his slowing tears he laughed and leaned back from him. "Well, maybe if you weren't such a horrible jerk I wouldn't have to," he joked as Jun'ko pulled him closer to hold him on his lap.   
  
"Oh, you'd be bored out of your mind if I was a decent human being, and you know it." He leaned back against the chair as Tamae laughed again. "At least you two look happy enough."   
  
Tamae felt his face grow hot and he turned to hide his blush against Jun'ko as he felt his lover's embarrassment as well. "Yes, I suppose..." Jun'ko mumbled. "Though why exactly were you watching us sleep?" Tamae lifted his head and looked back at Kumi. In his excitement at having Kumi back he hadn't thought about it.   
  
Kumi just snorted. "You two _looked so cute_. How could I resist? Besides, you two made a mess of my room..." Tamae felt his face redden again as Jun'ko's embarrassment rose as well, "...so I figured, if you two can screw where I sleep, I can sleep where you two screw." Kumi laughed at his own joke and stood up leaving Jun'ko and Tamae to consider hiding under the very rumpled bed. "Ah well..." he stretched and smiled down at them. "I'm gonna go to sleep on the couch." He headed out but stopped halfway out the door. "That is unless you two took a turn on that, too?"   
  
Tamae wanted to die and managed to eek out, "No."   
  
"Oh good. How about the hallway?" he asked waving at the area in question.   
  
"No. Jun'ko's bed is... alright, too. I'm sure it would be more comfortable." He felt his lover nod his head.   
  
"Okay, so the hallway, the couch, and Jun'ko's room are the safe areas? Good, I'm claiming his bed." As he turned the corner and headed to the room in question he continued to talk. "Boy I tell you what. I leave for a night and it turns into a regular blue porno around here. You'd think you two would be sad to see me come back..." His voice trailed off as he closed the door and Tamae started giggling.   
  


---

  
Suoh finished off the papers he had as the Kaichou looked up from his desk. For the past hours he had diligently tore through his own papers, intent at not leaving a mess of work to his replacement. It was almost three when he finally laid down his pencil. "Ah, well. It will have to do. It's almost the end of the day and I don't want to remain later than I promised." He pulled over two papers he had set aside and stared at them, before reaching for his pen.   
  
"Oh, surely there's something we can do about this! Won't he take another price instead?" Akira exclaimed, jumping up from his desk. "You can't quit, Kaichou. You're the absolutely greatest at your job! The school wouldn't the same without you!"   
  
"Akira..." he started but Akira continued, ringing his hands before him.   
  
"You're Kaichou. If you quit... If you quit..." He stammered on this, looking as miserable as Suoh felt.   
  
Suoh looked over to the Kaichou and saw him lower his head again and nod barely. "Then he'll still be Kaichou, none the less," Suoh stated, causing them both to look at him. "It won't matter at all between us."   
  
The Kaichou smiled sadly at that and nodded stronger this time. "Thank you, Suoh, and thank you too, Akira. I'm touched by how upset you are, truly." He then quickly signed the bottom of the first page and then the bottom of the second, like someone ripping off a band-aid, before shoving them away from himself. He stared at the papers numbly for a minute, before he stood up. "There. It's done. I'll go take these to the chairman at once," he said as he stepped around his desk, clutching them.   
  
As he did Suoh signed the bottom of two papers of his own before standing and handing them to the Kaichou. "If you would..."   
  
The puzzled look on Kaichou's face snapped to shock and displeasure in an instant. "Oh, Suoh, no! That was my debt; it had nothing to do with you. I won't stand for you doing this!" he ordered, handing the papers back to him.   
  
"What is it?" Akira asked walking over to look at the papers.   
  
"It's my choice," Suoh said flatly. "Besides, that wasn't an idle promise I made back then. I'm bound to you, where you lead I follow." Suoh crossed his arms and refused to take back the pages. It was madness for Kaichou to even consider that he'd let him resign alone.   
  
"Suoh, no! This is your school; you've gone here since the second grade. I won't let you do this. Its too much."   
  
"Oh!" Akira exclaimed as he finally saw what the papers that Kaichou was waving were. "You're resigning as well, Takamura sempai?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"No, he is _not_!"  
  
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea!" Akira cheered happily, causing Kaichou to look like he'd swallowed a bug. "If we all resign we'll still be together and get to go to a new school! It'll be like an adventure!" The soon to be ex-treasurer bounced around his desk and rooted through his filing cabinet looking nothing like the nineteen year old man he was. Suoh was left to marvel at his enduring innocence for the few moments it took him to find the pages, "Here they are! I knew I had a few copies of withdrawal papers."   
  
"Akira no!" Kaichou yelled grabbing the pages back from him. "No, I can't let you two do this! This... It's..." Suoh watched the tears start in his blue eyes and laid a hand on his shoulder as he relinquished the pages to Akira, who quickly signed them. "No... You can't."   
  
"It'll be an adventure, right Ijyuin san?"   
  
"Oh, definitely. I bet it will be good to go somewhere else after being here so long, no matter how wonderful it was. Besides..." he added softly, putting his own papers with Suoh's and Kaichou's. "It wouldn't be wonderful without you, Kaichou. You'll see; it'll be fine."   
  
Kaichou's mouth opened and closed a few times as he looked back to Suoh, who just shook his head. "This is our choice. We're going with you. Now turn in our papers."   
  
Covering his face in his hand a moment, Kaichou looked back at them both with tear-covered cheeks and smiled a bit. "Thank you," he said with a trembling voice and Akira hugged him again, crushing the Kaichou's smaller frame in his surprisingly strong arms. Suoh couldn't help but laugh as the Kaichou's eyes went a bit wider at the pressure.   
  


---

  
Tamae stepped out of the shower to a truly delicious smell wafting through the halls. Following his nose, he found the kitchen with Kumi setting out dinner. "Hungry?" he asked innocently.   
  
Tamae huffed at him. "As if I had a choice, that smells wonderful."   
  
"Why thank you," he said as he sat out the food before Tamae as Jun'ko walked in from reading in the living room.   
  
They had made it most of the way through the meal before Tamae's conscious was pushing on his so hard even Kumi's food wasn't enough to silence it. "Kumi?"   
  
"Hm?"   
  
"You didn't really make that man leave his school, did you?" he asked hopefully.   
  
"Of course I did," he said matter-of-factly as he refilled his drink.   
  
Tamae's face fell as he stared blankly at his plate, but before he could comment, quiet Jun'ko did. "You shouldn't have. It wasn't anywhere near necessary and its not like he didn't anything wrong."   
  
"Incorrect," Kumi replied and took a drink. "He did something very wrong."   
  
"Kumi..." they chorused.   
  
"No, now hear me out. You said that the school was his whole life, right? Well, that's no way for someone to live."   
  
"But-"  
  
"But nothing. Listen, you two just sit there and eat your udon and let me handle it."   
  
"But-"  
  
"Don't you two trust me?"   
  
"No," they again chorused with out a moment's hesitation.   
  
Kumi smiled. "You two are so _smart_," he said sweetly as he stood up to pat them both on their unamused heads. "But seriously, set aside your well reasoned and substantiated misgivings and let it go for a bit."   
  
As he happily resumed eating, Tamae looked at Jun'ko and after a moment of mutual confusion and doubt they went back to their meals as well.   
  


---

  
"Kaichou?" The room was darkened but Suoh could still hear the sound of his charge's breathing. He stepped around the sofa sitting before the lit fire to find him curled up in a blanket, knees drawn to his chest. "How are you doing?"   
  
He stayed silent; his only response was to curl into himself tighter. Suoh took the lack of proper answer as an invite to sit. "I..." he finally began. "I think I should be alone for a bit. I..."   
  
"You look horrible, I doubt being alone would do much more than make you worry yourself sick." He looked over to his chosen and attempted to read his face.   
  
The small blonde looked up at him with the oddest of expressions before he ducked his face back into his knees. "No... no, I need to be alone. I'm sorry. I just can't..."   
  
Suoh could hear the tremor in his voice again and it felt like his chest was being crushed. Nokoru's well-being was his responsibility and it hurt deeply to hear him in pain. "It's okay..." He laid a hand on his shoulder and gripped it firmly, trying to comfort him, but Kaichou seemed to recoil slightly from the touch.   
  
"I..." He started but didn't continue. Suoh didn't know what was wrong or how to fix it but lately he seemed to want held more than anything and Suoh was happy to offer.   
  
Leaning closer he wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him a little nearer, but before he could say anything Nokoru turned quickly into him and latched on with a sob.   
  
Suoh held him tightly, dipping his face into his hair so that the smell of the softly scented soaps he used were clearly detectable. As new as the sensation of Nokoru in his arms was, it was welcomed and enjoyed. It felt safe and natural to enclose him tightly so that he could feel his heart beat. Suoh couldn't remember ever feeling as secure as he did during these moments and as Nokoru shifted his position to wrap his arms around Suoh's neck and press his face into his neck, Suoh only adjusted his grip. He was vaguely aware that Nokoru was on his knees on the couch to achieve the position but all he cared was that he was safe and warm against him. He was focused on that as he ran his hands up Nokoru's back, when his charge suddenly leaned back to be face to face with Suoh a moment before he pressed his lips against Suoh's.   
  
Suoh started a moment, not expecting it, but Nokoru was pushing all of himself into the kiss, framing Suoh's face with his hands and leaning on him heavily, so Suoh quickly reciprocated. He brought his arms around his narrow waist and drew him into his lap as he deepened the kiss. Exploring his charge's mouth, the perfect warmth of him was suddenly lost as Nokoru jumped back as if he's been burned. He had a hand brought up in shock as he scrambled from Suoh's lap. "No, no, no."   
  
"Nokoru?"   
  
"Why did I do that?" he started to cry as he stumbled to the floor despite Suoh's attempts to catch him, in fact he shoved Suoh away every time he tried to reach for him. "I'm a monster. How could I do that?"   
  
"It's alright, Nokoru," he tried to convince him as he curled into a ball and started crying, but again as he tried to reach for him, Nokoru recoiled from him.   
  
"Alright? It's not alright!" he suddenly shouted before collapsing back into sobs. "It's not alright. I'm a horrible person."   
  
"No, you're not."   
  
"Yes, I am. I was just kissing a girl's fiancé... Nagisa san is my friend even and I did this. How...?"   
  
Suoh shook his head, suddenly understanding. "Nagisa san wouldn't be upset, I promise. She-"  
  
"How could she not be?! You've been happy together for so long; I even brought you too together because I knew how much you would love each other. I knew you'd never love me, I wanted you to be happy..."   
  
"Nokoru, no. Please, stop; let me explain."   
  
"I wanted you to be happy and now I've ruined it with my selfishness-"  
  
"No! Nokoru listen to me," he grabbed him quickly and shook him slightly to get his attention. "You haven't ruined anything." As Nokoru tried to dispute it he spoke over him. "Nagisa and I have broken off the engagement. You haven't ruined anything, you haven't hurt anyone."   
  
"What?" Nokoru abruptly stopped crying and looked at him, blinking in confusion.   
  
Sighing, Suoh laid everything out as he released the no longer hysterical man. "Nagisa san and I broke off the engagement a couple months before the new school year began. At first we decided to keep it a secret till we were comfortable with our decision; then we kept it that way because we didn't want to lay any more pressure on you."   
  
"But..." he looked like his world had just been turned upside down. "But you said just yesterday that you two were happy and-"  
  
"I only said that to make you happy. I would have told you that I was dating Ijyuin at that point." Nokoru smiled a bit and tried to laugh. "I just said what I thought you wanted to hear."   
  
Nokoru's face darkened in thought for a moment. "I..." but Suoh cut in again.   
  
"You're in love with me?" It was a possibility that had never occurred to him, but in retrospect he was beginning to doubt his own intelligence. Some of the things Nokoru did, the way he looked at him sometimes... "You are, aren't you?"   
  
"I..." he wavered, un5sure and staring at his hands, but Suoh came up close to him and lifted his chin. He watched Nokoru's large, blue eyes dart away but in the end meet his and he brushed the side if his face lightly. The gentle strength paired with vulnerability he found there, had always been there, the selflessness of living for others and shutting up your own love so that the one you loved could be happy, the intense need and mournful loneliness, it was all vividly clear and Suoh felt himself captured by it all. Somewhere within a voice rambled on about how it was only his born-in bond with Nokoru that he was feeling, but as a small smile reached his face, he decided that he really didn't care.   
  
As he gently pulled him close he dipped his head down and caught his lips again. This kiss wasn't as rushed as the first; it was slow and loving and afterwards Nokoru pulled back a bit. "Suoh, you don't have to."   
  
The bodyguard smiled and kissed him on his cheek. "I wasn't aware I was being forced..." he let the words trail off as he began to kiss down Nokoru's neck. As his love brought his arms around him again, Suoh began to undo his tie slowly.   
  



	7. Games We Play

  
  
Author's note: This is based in Clamp's Clamp Campus Detectives.  
  
This story contains Shounen Ai (two guys in love). If you find that icky or otherwise have problems with that, that's between you and your sexual identity issues. Don't bother me with it, you've been aptly warned.  
  
Here's the end. Thanks for reading Elihice. lol Sorry this was a little late, too.  
  
Oh and of course I own none of these characters, save my three terrors. If I did, I wouldn't be posting here now would I?   
  


chapter 7  
Games We Play

  
  
Nokoru woke to an obnoxious beeping off to his left. He vaguely recognized it as his phone. Numbly he pulled himself up and suddenly became aware that the heavy weight on his chest was Souh's arm. With a suddenly red face, he picked up the phone. "Imonoyama residence." It was silly to still blush but at this rate he wasn't sure if it would ever stop.   
  
Suoh stirred at the sound as the voice answered. "Nokoru san, did I wake you?"   
  
"Chairman! Ah... yes, I'm afraid I stayed up too late last night. What can I do for you?" he asked innocently as Suoh raised his head.   
  
"I would require your presence at my office today at noon."   
  
"Your office?" he asked and sighed. "I am afraid I will have to disappoint. I… cannot enter the campus." As he said this Suoh sat up and pulled him close. Nokoru looked up at him and smiled softly.   
  
"Yes, I am aware of the stipulations of your dealings with Ayashiko san." Nokoru stared with his mouth agape, not quite sure what to say, but she continued. "But, I have it from Ayashiko san that he will permit you this entrance today. I believe he said something about as you were such a gracious looser, that he could only be a gracious winner."   
  
Again Nokoru sat in silence before saying, "I see."   
  
"So, Nokoru san, I trust I will be seeing you here promptly at noon?"   
  
"Oh! Oh, yes Chairman, of course. Certainly."   
  
"Then, I will see you then," she said and hung up.   
  
Nokoru leaned back against Suoh's broad chest as he hung up and Suoh wrapped him up tightly. "What was that about?" his lover asked.   
  
"The Chairman wishes me to come to her office at noon today," he said distractedly, letting the possibilities run through him. He couldn't imagine what she needed him for now that he was no longer a member of the school, but he had to admit the "gracious" offer from Ayashiko san was believable enough given his odd personality.   
  
"She was willing to meet elsewhere, then?" the deep voice above him asked.   
  
Nokoru shook his head, looking out the window before him. "No, it seems she has gained permission for me to enter the campus for this once." He felt Suoh suddenly stiffen. "You shouldn't be angry with him. It was my decision to gamble, not his, and it's been over three months since then." Suoh sighed heavily and stood, wrapping a robe around himself before he walked to the bathroom.   
  
Three months had passed since the poker match and Nokoru thought he was doing surprisingly well. He and Suoh and Akira would be attending Eritsuma Academy when the new school year started. They were all far a head of the other students so a few months off was something they could afford. While he was always happy to slack off, it had been Suoh and Akira that had insisted for the time off. They had all needed it desperately.   
  
He and Suoh had gotten an apartment near the new school with Akira's apartment taking up the floor directly below their penthouse. None of them had ever lived in an apartment for more than a few nights stay, so this was a fun endeavor. Nokoru was having a great deal of fun decorating the rooms (while Suoh made faces). Nokoru's latest favorite thing was a set of tiny penguin figurines that he had set on the main coffee table. It had earned a huff from Suoh, so Nokoru knew they were good. (Suoh always hated the best things.)   
  
They had separate rooms, to maintain appearances, and Nokoru kept sneaking in fun things into his nearly empty, traditional room. Suoh used the room to relax and practice, and often he came storming out with a penguin figurine, stuffed jellyfish, flower sculpture, or some other thing, sit it down on the coffee table, and head back in. It had reached the point that Nokoru was specifically looking for things to stick in his room just to see him storm out with that expressionless face.   
  
The door to the shower opened enough for his arm to reach out and set a shower poof (shaped like a duck complete with little washcloth wings and a beak) onto the dresser and re-close the door. Nokoru giggled at the sight, burying his face in a pillow in his amusement.   
  
The first time Suoh had brought something out of his room in front of Akira, Nokoru had laughed as soon as Suoh's door slid closed. Akira had joined him, enjoying Suoh's discomfort just as much, but suddenly Akira had stopped laughing. When Nokoru looked to him questioningly, he found himself tackled in one of Akira's childlike hugs (a little startling, if not painful given he was larger than Nokoru was). "Wha-?!"  
  
Akira pulled back quickly, all smiles. "You're back! You're really back. I didn't think you'd ever be the same," he explained, tears starting to show in his eyes. Nokoru hadn't even noticed he'd started playing again. He knew he had gotten much better just after that first night with Suoh, but Akira was right, he was coming back to himself more and more. Since then, he thought he was even better than he had been before the whole disaster had started.   
  
Dubhain san had been right (he'd finally conceded); living with only brick and stone had been a bad idea. Nokoru laid back down and snuggled into the covers on Suoh's side and breathed in his scent happily. He hadn't cried at night since Suoh had taken him. Though he had cried during the days, mourning the loss of the school, he didn't cry out of loneliness anymore. That pain was gone now, and it felt like a vice had been removed from his chest. Twice now Suoh had saved him from loneliness. To this day he didn't know how he had kept from sobbing incoherently when Suoh first promised to stay with him. Perhaps it was only because he hadn't really _believed_ it, no matter how much he'd wanted to.   
  
It had taken weeks for it to totally sink in. The sheer unbelivability that someone, after being kidnapped with him, would want to be his friend still made it hard to trust what Suoh said. As ever, Suoh didn't say anything he didn't mean and this time around, he'd believed Suoh far faster when he said he loved him. He missed Clamp desperately, but he was happy with Suoh, and that was happier than he'd been in a very long time.   
  
Seeing the clock read 10:30 and hearing the shower turn off, Nokoru slowly drew himself upright to ready himself for his visit to Clamp. He wasn't sure if he was happy or fearful, but either way he was wound like a top: all jittery and even the thought of Suoh couldn't calm him any longer. _He was getting to go home!_  
  


---

  
He stepped out of the car at the main gates that were thankfully rather unoccupied. The chairman had chosen a good time, as the school year had just ended yesterday and everyone was enjoying their break. He had a good walk to reach her office and a large crowd was the last thing he wanted, but then again, he was happy for the long walk and didn't intend to rush. He ambled down the walkways, looking around at the beautiful landscape. Everything was new with spring and had a clean smell to it. He was aware that The Triplets were still operating there, but it still felt so clean and pure. He sat down under a tree for a moment and sighed. He hoped he wasn't being too greedy by stopping for a moment. He was just so homesick.   
  
After he'd watched the sunlight dance through the leaves a bit too long, he drug himself up and headed to the chairman's office. He couldn't very well be late, and perhaps he'd be able to take his time on his way back out. Nokoru made a mental note to have the car meet him at the other gate so he could walk through another part on his way out.   
  
He reached her office just on time (though he'd had to run a bit in the halls), and knocked lightly at the door. When there was no answer he opened it slowly. "Chairman?" Again he received no answer and he stepped inside, letting the door swing closed behind him. The spacious indoor garden that served as her office was silent as ever and he made his way within. As he neared the large parasol that shaded the blanket, he could make out the figure seated there. Not the chairman in her kimono, sitting properly in the shade, but rather lounging there like some pleased cat, was Ayashiko san as if he owned the place. At the sound of a giggle, Nokoru looked right to see Dubhain san wiping off his face that had just been splashed by a scared koi. Kameko san was standing at the shore, content watch as the red head waded through the water. "Ayashiko san," he said as he stopped before the ringmaster.   
  
He smiled broadly up at him. "Well, hello, Kaichou. Did you enjoy your stroll?"   
  
As he motioned him to sit, Nokoru did and answered, "Yes, very much so. I trust it was you from whom the actual invite came."   
  
"Yes, yes. Couldn't risk you not coming because it was from me. Thankfully your lovely chairman was happy to assist, and I must say, she has some good taste." He whistled at the garden around himself and gestured to the tea before him. "She left it for us, so if you want some feel free."   
  
Again Nokoru thanked him and took a cup. "I had thought our business was done, Ayashiko san. You have Clamp and I am exiled from it. Why did you call me here?"   
  
"Boy, you try to give someone a treat and let them visit for a little bit and you automatically have ulterior motives," he said with a dramatic sigh.   
  
"From what I know of you, I believe you always have ulterior motives, save where they're concerned," Nokoru countered, nodding towards his two companions. "But if this was only to allow me to visit the campus again, then I thank you. It is certainly nice to see it again."   
  
"I'm glad," he said with a grin. "You look far better than you did the last time we met, Kaichou. Not quite so ragged."   
  
Nokoru nodded. "Yes, I am much better. Thank you. I trust your affairs are going well?"   
  
"Oh,d ridiculously so. I'm sure you can just imagine."   
  
"I can."   
  
Ayashiko san looked at him, as if sizing him up as he pulled a deck of cards from his pocket. Idly, he slipped the cards from the pack and began to shuffle them, doing all sorts of little tricks with his hands. "You realize of course you never had a chance at winning before?"   
  
Nokoru nodded again. "Yes, but I don't regret it. While I was far from my best at that point, there was no other option before me."   
  
"Too true, too true." He continued to play with the cards for a bit, before asking, "I assume Ijyuin san is still hail and hearty?"   
  
"Yes, very. His wedding is next week."   
  
"How nice. Did you happen to tell him what the final bet was in our game?"   
  
"Of course not. It would have hurt him to know that that lost the game."   
  
Ayashiko san watched him again, though Nokoru wasn't sure what about. He only had the distinct notion that he was being tested, run through hoops. "I hear he engagement between Takamura san and Azuya san has been ended."   
  
"Yes," he said simply. "It seems they had grown apart. I hear that she has already shown interest in a man in the science lab."   
  
"Grown apart, eh?" He took a drink from the coke can he had (obviously not favoring tea). "Odd, they seemed such a happy couple the night before our game."   
  
Nokoru's eyes narrowed a bit. _How did Ayashiko san know that?_ "Actually, it seems they were no longer a couple before the last school year. They were keeping it from me in order to spare me the disappointment." Ayashiko only nodded. "I was the one that originally put them together, they were only trying to make my life easier."   
  
Suddenly, Ayashiko san thumped the deck down before him. "Cut for the highest card?" he asked with a smirk.   
  
"Why?" Nokoru looked at the deck as if it might leap up and attack him.   
  
"Amusement." The smirk had widened to the murder worthy grin.   
  
"Whose?" he asked guardedly.   
  
Ayashiko reached out and refreshed his tea. "Maybe both of us. Don't you trust me?"   
  
"Not in the least."   
  
"So mistrusting, so guarded, so jaded," he made a show of crying. "It's so beautiful. I've taught you so much." Nokoru just looked at him, mimicking Suoh's expression, as he took a sip from his tea. "Ah, well, looks like you also got a piece of ass, or someone got a piece of yours," he said off-handedly as Nokoru choked in his tea. While he coughed out a lung, Ayashiko laughed. "I take that as a yes." He continued to chuckle as he smacked Nokoru's back. Once he had settled he asked again, "So, you gonna cut?"   
  
Again Nokoru looked at it. "What will I loose?"   
  
"Nothing you haven't already, after all, I have everything I want," he stated with his smile intact.   
  
With a short exhale, Nokoru reached out and grabbed part of the deck and flipped it over. "Eight of spades."   
  
Instead of reaching for the pile himself he called out to his companions. "Tamae! Eight of spades!"   
  
"Huh? Oh!" the psychic shouted back. "Six of swords: the travelers! "Your ride has been across rough, cold waters, but the calm cove is in sight! Troubles that once were all around you will soon be behind you!" he finished.   
  
"Thanks!" Ayashiko san shouted back, before looking back to Nokoru. "Interesting." He reached out and turned a section of the deck over. "Ah, well, three of diamonds. Tamae!" the psychic looked back up from the fish. "Three of diamonds!"   
  
The psychic looked frustrated for a moment but answered. "Three of disks: the new venture! Business plans that are new have shown good promise and show signs of gaining stability! The foundation is set!"   
  
"Thank you! Well... looks like we both win in our own way, not that this actually meant anything."   
  
"What didn't?" From what he'd heard the cards fit perfectly. He was leaving the stormy waters and his life was looking good, plus he'd moved to a new place and school. As for Ayashiko san's, he had a new venture: his acquisition of the school, and it was showing good profits. "The game? We weren't playing for anything at all?"   
  
"No, we weren't playing for it. The cards were pretty much for my own amusement." Nokoru let out an angry huff at that and began to stand. "Leaving so soon? You haven't gotten your present, yet."   
  
Nokoru stopped. "Present? What present?"   
  
"Kumi," started Dubhain san as he walked over to them (bare feet still wet from the pond), Kameko san in tow. "What are you shouting out cards about? I thought you said you had something to give him." Behind the small man, Kameko nodded.   
  
Ayashiko sighed. "What impatient people." At that he tossed a large envelope to Nokoru.   
  
With a confused expression he opened it and peered inside, and pulled out the papers. _His withdrawal papers?_ "I... I don't understand. Why...?" He let the words trail off as he saw there was more in the envelope. Upon overturning it, he found the scraps of paper that he had gambled in their game. With a few in his hand and his papers in the other, he looked up at the gambler with pure confusion.   
  
"What? Do I have to spell it out for you? Your debts are wiped, go have fun at the wedding, give that temple all the money you want, and re-enroll to your precious Clamp," he stated as if he had a foul taste in his mouth.   
  
"Kumi!" Dubhain san shouted as he wrapped him up in a crushing hug. Caught off guard, Ayashiko san fell over with a shout and squirmed in the smaller man's grip.   
  
"Really?!" Nokoru asked, clutching the papers to his chest as he smiled purely at the struggling gambler.   
  
"Yes, yes, unless you don't want to. I'd be happy to stay if you want," he stated as he got up while Dubhain babbled on about how wonderful he was.   
  
"No, no!" Nokoru said quickly, drawing the papers closer. "I want it, very much so! Thank you! Thank you!" He turned to leave but stopped, the many slips of paper held tightly. "Can I...?"   
  
"Yes, yes, have a nice day."   
  
Nokoru laughed and ran out the doors. His heart was pumping so loudly he could hear it in his ears and he was just bolting out the main doors to the street when he saw Suoh and Akira out of the corner of his eyes. He slammed to a screeching halt and ran back to them. "Suoh! Akira! You won't... believe...." he panted out as he tried to catch his breath.   
  
"What's happened?"   
  
"Kaichou, did you get good news?"   
  
"The best!" he spurted out, shoving the papers at them. "We can come back!"   
  
"That's wonderful!" Akira cheered, but Suoh was too pragmatic to accept things at face value.   
  
"How? The Chairman-"  
  
"It wasn't her that I met with, it was Ayashiko san. He simply asked her to arrange it. He expunged the debts! Akira, if there's still a place, I can be in your wedding again!"   
  
"Oh course!" Akira cheered again and started happily going over everything that would have to be done to put things back as they were, but getting it all done by the week wouldn't be too hard.   
  
"But why?" Suoh asked, not joining in the celebration.   
  
"Because we're off to greener pastures!" Ayashiko announced as he stepped from the doors with his accomplices in tow. "That and this place gives Tamae nightmares," he laughed as Dubhain san looked embarrassed.   
  
"So, you're just leaving. Just like that?" Suoh asked further, and even Nokoru was shocked by this. He hadn't thought that was the case.   
  
"Well, no, not _just_ like that. We stayed the year out, ran the end of year tournaments, helped some kids out with their exams, and all that," he said with his smirk as Dubhain san giggled. "But now we are moving on, sadly. I'm sure you'll all miss us."   
  
"Don't write." Suoh replied, his arms crossed.   
  
Ayashiko san chuckled and bowed. "Happy to oblige. Well, Kaichou, enjoy your school." He patted him on the head as he stepped past.   
  
"Yes, have fun," Dubhain said happily as he headed past. "You look so very good, now."   
  
Nokoru thanked him and wished him well as Kameko san dipped his head as he left. Suddenly his smile returned full force and Nokoru leapt up and wrapped his arms and Suoh's neck, letting his feet dangle. He laughed happily as his lover started but quickly supported him. His happy hugging was interrupted as he heard Ayashiko san. "Damn!"   
  
He was looking at Nokoru and Suoh and suddenly Nokoru was very self-conscious but he also turned to give the same look to his companions. "What am I running here? A dating service!?" he shouted into the air as he walked off but suddenly stopped to look at the two following him. "You know what, that could work! Calculator head here can memorize their bios and match the qualities."   
  
"That won't work," Dubhain said quickly. "People are more than ones and zeros."   
  
"What? We won't hook anyone up with an axe murderer. In fact, that'll be our motto, _'An Axe murderer free dating experience!'_." He waved his hands in the air as if showing a marquee. Dubhain giggled and even Nokoru found himself smiling at the show.   
  
"You _do_ realize that would be legitimate, don't you." Kameko san replied.   
  
"What have I told you about ruining things for me?" he scolded as their voices started to trail.   
  
"You did a good thing, Kumi," Dubhain commented and Ayashiko threw his hands in the air.   
  
"Are you two aiming to ruin my day?! I tell you what, if I could just have one day of peace, just one day..." Their voices were lost save the laughter of his friends and soon that was gone too.   
  
Suoh shook his head and Nokoru smiled up at him coyly. "Do I aggravate you that much?"   
  
"Yes," he stated and Akira laughed lightly behind him.   
  
"Come on, let's go take a look at our council room!" Akira asked brightly, stepping that direction.   
  
Nokoru nodded quickly. "We have a little more than two weeks till school starts so we'll have to get our stuff moved in quickly," Nokoru noted quickly. "Akira's tea set, my little puzzle boxes..."   
  
"Your stamp and pens." Suoh added in, and Nokoru stopped like he'd been struck.   
  
"Well, there's no reason rush things, Suoh. We must pace ourselves, after all."   
  
"I can imagine the paperwork that's gotten left over the year change, what with the sudden switch in council members, plus all the beginning of year work."   
  
"Su-oh... Can't I enjoy my coming back?" he asked looking like a lost puppy. "We can start that work tomorrow."   
  
"You can enjoy it when your work is done," he said as he started to walk.   
  
"Su-oh... you're so cruel to me..." he pouted as Akira laughed again, and grabbed Nokoru's arm to pull him after Suoh.   
  


end

  
  
Authors Final Notes:  
  
Hmmm... What to write? Well, as I type this into the angelfire window (yeah, there's tons of forethought that went into this), I'm trying to think about something worthwhile to say about this piece. I first came up with these three characters years ago. First the Triplets were basically the same per son three times and were a set of well meaning goofballs on Touya's soccer team.   
  
Boy, did that change!  
  
Kumi was the first personality to show up, but he started out as just the leader of the goofs, with the other two just his cutout followers. They didn't become gamblers till way later. All and all, they weren't anything really till the challenge was made.  
  
It was then and only then that suddenly the three monsters jumped to reality. Kumi: a smooth talking, smooth looking, scruples-impaired gambler; Tamae: a sweet, half Irish, psychic bishonen; and Jun'ko: a tall, expressionless, human calculator with a soft spot for red heads. I adored them too much to stop with Ring Master so I had to make this, and as they were headed off to college when they left, Clamp School was too perfect of a target.  
  
So where are these theoretical "greener pastures"? That's the question. At the moment I'm letting the basis for an entirely original piece for them roll around in my head. I'll see if it picks up any moss in its travels and who knows it may actually show some fruit.  
  
Thanks for reading.  
  



End file.
